Bedtime Stories
by Justine Lark
Summary: Renesmee is a unique child, and ordinary bedtime stories just won't do! A few years post-BD, Edward puts his own spin on classic fairytales to help his daughter fall asleep. A different Twilight-style fairytale each chapter. Vampie & Sparkle Award winner!
1. Cinderella

Summary: Renesmee is a unique child, and ordinary bedtime stories just won't do! A few years post-BD, Edward puts his own spin on classic fairytales to help his little daughter fall asleep. Each chapter is a different fairytale, Twilight style.

_Author's Note: _

_This story is dedicated to Edward-Bella-Harry-Ginny. Because she is a great friend, because she made my avatar and gorgeous banners for this story and others (links on my profile) and because she likes Daddy Edward stories. I'd also like to thank Juliejuliejulie for previewing everything, Stephenie Meyer for creating and sharing her world and Rob Pattinson for being so beautiful it hurts to look at him._

_At the beginning of this story, Bella mentions a bonfire. She's referring to events in another story of mine, called Bonfire. That story has different mood than this one and is pretty long, but it's sprinkled with fluff and I think it's highly entertaining._

* * *

"Once upon a time," Edward began, "there were three sisters."

"Like Auntie Rosalie, Auntie Alice and Mommy!"

"Yes, like that." I could hear the smile in his luscious, warm voice. "But the two older sisters did not like the younger one. The older sisters loved to look in the mirror and try on different clothes and admire themselves. The younger one, whose name was Stella, did not care for such things. She liked to explore the woods, listen to the songs of birds and look for the tracks of animals. But she also happened to be the most beautiful of the sisters."

"Like Mommy!"

"Well, _I_ think so."

I rolled my eyes. "Edward, just tell the story." Ever since the bonfire, Renesmee had pleaded for another vampire story. Edward was happy to oblige, but I suggested that he lighten up the content. He assured me he had a plan to entertain our daughter without traumatizing her with too much conflict and death. I was just as eager as Renesmee to hear the tale unfold. She was tucked under the covers, and I lay on the bed next to her. Edward occupied the rocking chair that used to be in my bedroom.

"The older sisters were very jealous of Stella. When their parents died and they were on their own, they made Stella do all the work in their house so that they had time to make themselves pretty, and so their hands didn't get coarse. They took all the jewelry and nice clothes that their parents had bought for Stella. The only thing that they let her keep for herself was something they didn't want— their father's hunting knife. Stella needed it to clean the fish that she caught and the rabbits that she trapped, and of course the sisters didn't want to do any messy work like that.

"One day Stella did not return from where she had gone to check her traps and gather wood for the fire. The older sisters weren't worried about Stella, but they were unhappy that her work was not done. Stella didn't return the next day, or the day after that, and the sisters finally made up their minds that she had run away or come to some grief in the forest and they would have to go on without her. They hired someone to do the work Stella had done."

"What happened to Stella?"

"I'm coming to that, sweetie. Stella had encountered a vampire."

Renesmee held her breath in excitement.

"He bit her to change her, because he was hoping that she would be his wife. Stella was very bewildered by her new self. She followed this vampire around and learned his ways, but she refused to marry him. After several years she felt ready to live on her own, and the vampire agreed she could go her own way."

"Where did she go?"

"She went back to her sisters."

"Why, if they were so mean to her?" Renesemee wondered.

"Stella did not know who else might help her. You see, she had decided that she didn't want to kill humans any more. She thought she could hunt animals, which she had done when she was human. She wanted her sisters to keep her locked up so that she couldn't be a danger to humans, and she would go out once a week to find animals to drink from.

"The sisters were very disturbed to see Stella return. She was even more beautiful than before. At first they thought she was a ghost or an angel. Eventually she convinced them that she was real, but she had changed and was no longer human. They decided that she could stay if she resumed doing all the work of the household. Stella agreed right away. She had always done the work before, and now she was stronger and faster and she didn't have to sleep. So it didn't bother her. Once a week she would go out at night to hunt animals for their blood, and she used her knife to remove their skins or furs for trading. The rest of the time, they kept her locked up as she requested."

"How could they lock her up?" I asked.

"Bella, do you mind?" he said in mock indignation. "I'm trying to weave a spell of enchantment here."

"Sorry! I'll just listen."

Renesmee frowned. "Now you've got her questioning me!" Edward exclaimed. "She's imagining Stella breaking down the door." He heaved a theatrical sigh. "Since you ask, Stella knew she could escape any time, but being locked up was just a way to remind herself that she wanted to stay in the house and away from humans whom she might hurt."

"That makes sense," I agreed, and Renesmee curled up under her covers.

"Well, they went along this way, until one day the sisters got an invitation to a very fancy garden party at the castle. The prince had invited all the young women of the kingdom because he was looking for a bride. Of course, he did not invite Stella because nobody besides her sisters knew she was back. Stella washed and ironed her sisters' best dresses and helped them put their hair up. Then they locked her up and left the house. Stella picked up a book to pass the time, but suddenly there was a musical sound in the air and someone appeared out of nowhere. It was Stella's fairy godmother."

"What did she look like?" Renesmee asked.

"I'm not sure. Show us what you think she should look like." She reached her hand out to touch my face and show me Esme. Edward smiled. "Yes, that seems right. She was beautiful and very warm and loving."

"'Stella, would you like to go to the party?' she asked.

"'Do you think that's a good idea?' Stella responded.

"'Yes, I definitely think you should go.'"

"I love parties," said Renesmee happily.

"'But I don't have anything to wear,' Stella protested.

"'I can take care of that,' her fairy godmother assured her. She waved her wand, and Stella was clothed in a beautiful red dress. Over this she buckled her belt with her hunting knife, because she never went anywhere without it. 'But listen carefully,' the fairy godmother warned Stella. 'You have to leave the castle before 3 o'clock. It's cloudy now, but at 3 o'clock exactly the sun will start to come out. You must be sure to be away from people who might see you sparkling in the sun.' Stella understood. Usually she only went out at night so that she wouldn't be caught in the sun.

"Because she didn't have Auntie Alice," Renesmee said with satisfaction.

"That's right," he smiled.

"Stella was very impressed with the castle and the extensive grounds. Musicians were playing, and guests were dancing. Servants circulated with trays of drinks and snacks. Stella was pleased to be part of the event, and she especially enjoyed the lovely music, but she thought it was best to keep a distance from the others. She didn't want to get too close to all the humans, and she didn't want to run into her sisters. So she wandered away to a quiet corner of the garden.

"A young man came to sit beside her. Stella thought he was very handsome." Renesmee patted my cheek and shared a picture of…..Jacob. Huh. I glanced at Edward. He had obviously picked up on her mental image. He looked rueful for a moment but carried on with the story without comment.

"The young man asked Stella if she would like to dance. She politely declined. He gave a sigh of relief.

"'I'm glad you said that,' he said to her. 'I don't really care for dancing, and I'm not very good at it.'

"'Why did you ask me, then?'

"'Well, of course I would, if you wanted to,' he replied. 'I want everyone to have a nice time here. But this party was really my father's idea, for me to meet all the young women of the kingdom.' Stella realized she was talking to the prince himself! 'It's not my thing. I don't like being around so many people. What I really enjoy is hiking, swimming in the lake and watching for birds.'

"'Me too!' Stella exclaimed.

"'Really?' the prince asked, looking at her glamorous dress.

"'Yes, I love to be out in the woods,' she told him. 'I do lots of fishing and trapping. I trade the animal skins and furs. See?' She showed him her knife,

"'It's beautiful,' he said.

"'It was my father's. That's my family crest on the handle,' she explained.

"'It's very well balanced,' he said, motioning with the knife in his hand. 'Have you seen any unusual birds migrating through here recently?'

"She nodded excitedly. 'Have you ever seen a gold-throated blackbird?' she asked.

"'Yes!' he said proudly. 'I had to get up very early for many days, but it was worth it. Have you ever seen a flock of Cossovo ducks?' Stella shook her head. 'I can show you where to wait and watch. It's amazing when they're all flying together.'

"Stella looked up, imagining a crowd of black and purple ducks filling the sky. She noticed the clouds shifting. Suddenly she realized it was nearly 3 o'clock.

"She leaped to her feet and rushed off. 'I'm sorry, but I've got to go!' she shouted to the prince. But he was still holding her knife."

"Her knife!" cried Renesmee in alarm. I stroked her hair.

"The prince wanted to return Stella's knife and, of course, he wanted to see her again. He asked some of the other party guests and the people at the castle, but nobody knew the woman he described. He began visiting every house in the kingdom, carrying the knife with him and asking each family to show him their family crest. Finally he came to the house of the sisters. They were delighted to see the prince at their door and invited him in. Immediately, he noticed the familiar crest on the wall above the fireplace.

"'Is this your knife?' he asked the oldest sister.

"'Why, yes,' she replied. 'I was wondering what happened to it.'

"He frowned. He hadn't spent much time with Stella, but he knew this wasn't her. 'What do you use it for?' he asked.

"'Manicures,' said the sister.

"'I don't think so,' he replied, lifting one eyebrow skeptically.

"The second sister saw her chance. 'That's my knife!' she said. 'Where did you find it?'

"'What do you use it for?' he asked.

"'Trimming my hair,' she answered. The prince didn't believe her either.

"Stella could hear everything they said. She decided she had to come forward. She pushed the locked door open and walked into the room. Her sisters gasped.

"'I think you have my knife,' Stella stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

"The prince recognized her at once. 'It's you!' he said joyfully. 'Will you marry me?'

"'Only on one condition,' Stella replied.

"The prince nodded. 'Anything,' he declared. The sisters held their breath. What would she ask for? Perhaps she'd want them to be punished for always making her do all the work. Perhaps she'd demand buckets of jewels.

"'You have to take me to see the Cossovo ducks,' Stella said.

"He promised that he would, and just a few weeks later, they were in the right place to see a big, beautiful flock of ducks flying overhead. Soon after that, they got married, and they lived happily ever after, wandering in the woods, tracking animals and spotting birds."

"Very creative," I praised Edward.

"There are a lot of aspects of the traditional version that never worked for me," he grinned. "And let's not even talk about the Disney movie."

Renesmee was mulling over the story. "She was a vampire, and he was human."

"True."

"Could they be married that way?"

"What do you think?"

"Maybe. Or maybe she changed him to be the same as her."

"That's certainly one approach," Edward agreed. His tone was remarkably mild, considering how much ingenuity and energy he'd dedicated to opposing and postponing that very solution.

"Maybe her fairy godmother could help them," I suggested.

"Yes!" Renesmee said. "Maybe Stella could be human again."

"Maybe. But it's definitely time for bed," I reminded her.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

"Will you tell me that story again tomorrow night?"

* * *

_Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed Edward's twist on the story along with Bella and Nessie! Please let me know what you think! Edward did tell her this story again and again, but eventually he came up with a new one, as presented in the next chapter.... _


	2. Little Red Riding Hood

_Author's Note: Thank you so much for all the nice reviews! It is very inspiring and gratifying to know that people appreciate my writing. _

* * *

Renesmee had gotten ready for bed and jumped under the covers in record time. Edward had promised her a new story. He liked to begin in the traditional manner. "Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Scarlett."

Scarlett? I could try to guess the basis for tonight's story, but I didn't know how he would modify it to suit Renesmee's desire for vampire tales. She and I both loved his unique versions of familiar stories. I adored my husband's imagination and his devotion to our daughter. Of course, I would be nearly as captivated if he read the phone book. His warm, melodious voice was so compelling. _You're amazing_, I told him silently.

He glanced at me with a puzzled expression. "I barely started!"

"I'm sorry." I smiled at him. "I won't interrupt again. I'm just excited to listen to your story." Renesmee touched my cheek. She wanted me to be quiet.

"Scarlett's grandmother lived on the other side of the woods. Scarlett liked to visit her very often, and she always took food to give to her grandmother. One day she set out through the woods with a basket on her arm."

Aha! I knew which story had inspired him. I settled down to hear his twist on the classic tale.

"Scarlett hadn't gotten very far when she ran into someone she knew. This boy was a member of the Quileute tribe and lived on the nearby reservation. His name was Daniel. He was a few years older, but they had often gone on picnics and other outings together with their families and friends. They hadn't seen each in a few weeks, though, because Daniel had been sick. Scarlett greeted her friend happily and asked if he was all better now.

"'Yes,' he said slowly. 'I am better, but I still need to be careful and not get stressed.' He was looking at her very intently."

I'd promised not to speak up, but I raised an eyebrow at Edward. A Quileuete boy who'd dropped out of sight for a few weeks and now was fascinated by Scarlett in a new way? I thought I knew what that was about, but we hadn't yet explained all the details of imprinting to Renesmee. Edward just smirked at me.

"'Why are you staring at me like that?' Scarlett asked.

"He shook his head slightly to clear it. 'No reason,' he answered. 'May I walk with you?'

"'I'd like that,' she answered. So they walked together on the path through the woods that led to her grandmother's house. They talked about her grandmother and what Scarlett and other people they knew had been doing since they'd seen each other last.

"Now, while they are walking and chatting, I have to tell you about something very sad that happened to Scarlett's grandmother."

Renesmee looked anxious.

"A vampire came to her house and drank her blood."

"Oh, no!" Renesmee cried. She quickly flashed through pictures of Carlisle, Esme, Charlie, Sue and Billy.

Edward nodded. "Most vampires do kill humans, and Scarlett's grandmother didn't have anyone to protect her like people here do."

"You won't let anything happen to our family, will you?"

"No," he said firmly. "We are always on the lookout, and Mommy and I and all our family and Jacob and all the wolves will stop anyone who tries to hurt someone we know. But Scarlett's grandmother wasn't so lucky. She was killed, and the vampire was waiting in her cottage for Scarlett to come along so she could drink her blood too."

"How did she know Scarlett was coming?" Renesmee asked.

"Good question," he acknowledged. "When the vampire came to the cottage, her grandmother had called out, 'Is that my favorite granddaughter with a basket of delicious treats for me?' So the vampire knew that a visitor was expected, and she thought it would be a very easy way to get another victim.

"Scarlett and Daniel arrived at the cottage. He said he would wait outside for her so that she could have a private visit with her grandmother. She opened the door and went in."

Renesmee clutched my hand in excitement.

"Scarlett saw someone lying in bed, but the room was rather dark. 'I'm here, Grandmother,' she said softly. 'Are you awake?'

"'Yes, I'm awake, my dear,' answered the vampire. 'Thank you for coming to visit me. You smell so nice today.'

"'Grandmother!' Scarlett said in surprise. 'Your voice! It sounds so different.'

"'Oh, that's because I had a cup of tea with honey just now,' the vampire explained.

"'Well, it sounds very nice,' Scarlett said, a little doubtfully.

"'Good. Come closer, and I'll sing you a little song,' she coaxed. Scarlett took a step towards the bed.

"'Grandmother!' Scarlett exclaimed again. 'Your eyes look strange.'

"'They were itching and bothering me before,' she answered.

"'They look red,' Scarlett said uncertainly. She was starting to feel rather uneasy.

"'Don't worry about it,' the vampire tried to reassure her. 'I can see you very well. Come a little closer.' She smiled at her in encouragement.

"'Grandmother!' Scarlett shrieked. 'Your teeth!'

"'What about them?' she asked.

"'They're so white and sharp!' Scarlett knew something was wrong now.

"The vampire stopped pretending to be her grandmother. 'The better to bite you with!' she snarled. But just then, who do you think burst into the cottage?"

"Daniel!" Renesmee cried.

"Not exactly. A giant gray wolf crashed through the door."

"It was Daniel," Renesmee said confidently.

"Yes," Edward said. "He was a werewolf, and while he was waiting outside, he noticed a strange scent that he didn't like at all. That made him suspicious. Then when he heard what Scarlett said about her grandmother's teeth, he knew she was in danger, and he instantly changed to his wolf form.

"Scarlett was absolutely terrified to see this gigantic wolf rush into the room. But of course he did not attack her. He leaped on the vampire. Scarlett wanted to run away, but the clash took up all the room in the small cottage. She was afraid to try to reach the door, but she got as far away from the fighting as she could. She huddled in a corner and covered her eyes. The air was full of growling and snapping and the sound of furniture being knocked over and broken. She peeked through her hands and saw that there were several wolves fighting now."

"The pack!" Renesmee proclaimed in a tone of satisfaction.

"That's right," Edward confirmed. "When Daniel transformed into his wolf body, some of his wolf brothers and sisters who had been running and playing in the woods could hear his thoughts. He called for help, and they came as fast as they could, which you know was very fast. Scarlett was still trying to hide and stay out of the way. Suddenly in the middle of all the noise and confusion, she felt very warm hands on hers, gently pulling her hands from her face. She opened her eyes and saw Daniel in front of her.

"'Come on, let's get out of here!' he said urgently. She was relieved to see him but still very frightened and also confused, because he didn't look the same as before. He didn't have his shirt anymore. He was just wearing shorts."

Renesmee giggled. She knew the wolves' clothes were always getting destroyed.

"But she let him lead her outside," Edward continued. "The others had killed the vampire and were going to make sure she was finished forever."

"'My grandmother!' she cried, when they had gotten some distance from the cottage. Daniel said he was very sorry. 'Who was that?' she wondered fearfully. 'I was so scared. She had a beautiful voice, but she had red eyes and sharp bright teeth.' He said he thought a vampire had killed her grandmother. 'A vampire?' she said in horror. 'She was going to kill me too. She said she was going to bite me! But a huge wolf burst in and attacked her, and then there were a lot of wolves there. They were so big.' He nodded. 'You were very brave to come inside and help me escape. Thank you!'

"'Of course I came,' he said. 'I'm sorry I didn't realize right away that you were in trouble. I'll always do everything I can to keep you safe.'

"She squeezed his hand in gratitude. 'Will you come home with me and help me tell my parents that Grandmother is gone?' she asked. He agreed. They began walking, and she noticed that she still had the basket on her arm.

"'Look,' she said sadly. 'Poor Grandmother didn't get to eat any of these things I brought for her.'

"'Would you like me to carry the basket?' he asked.

"'That's okay,' she said. 'But maybe you would like to eat some of these muffins?'

"So on the way home, Daniel ate up all the treats in Scarlett's basket."

Renesmee's musical laugh was so delightful. She was also familiar with the wolves' voracious appetites. She smiled contentedly as she snuggled into her pillow.

"Did Scarlett ever find out that Daniel was the first wolf who came to rescue her?" she asked sleepily.

"Yes, eventually," Edward replied.

"That was really nice," I told him.

"Not too dark?" he asked. "The grandmother died."

"That part was sad, but it's okay. I like how you modified the fairytale. You made the villain a vampire, and the wolf was the hero!"

He flashed the crooked smile I loved so much. "Bella, it's just a story."

* * *

_Author's Note: I hope you liked Edward's story! Please let me know what you think. Writing these is a lot of fun, so Edward and I kept going..._


	3. Goldilocks

_Author's Note: I'm so happy from the positive feedback for this story. It means so much to me. And a couple of reviews gave me ideas for future chapters! _

* * *

"Good night, sweetie," Edward said, leaning over to kiss Renesmee.

"Daddy!" she protested.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"You told everyone that you have a new story for me tonight."

It wasn't just Renesmee and me. The whole family enjoyed Edward's customized fairytales. Renesmee had insisted that Edward type them up and print them out. Alice had helped her make illustrations. Renesmee would read them to herself or aloud if she had an audience, or she'd listen if anyone volunteered to read them to her. Jacob had read and heard the stories dozens of times, but he never ran out of patience. Still, everyone was pleased when Edward announced he'd come up with a new tale. He said he would tell it to Renesmee and me at bedtime as usual, and he promised to have a printed version ready for her to share with the others when she woke up in the morning.

"Did I?" he asked disingenuously. I rolled my eyes at him. "I _did_ have something in mind," he admitted, taking his place in the rocking chair. "But I can't remember how it starts."

"Once upon a time!" she reminded him impatiently.

"Right!" he said in a tone of enlightenment. "It's all coming back to me now. Thank you, sweetie. Once upon a time there was a little girl named Goldeneyes."

Goldeneyes? I could already see where this one was heading, but of course I couldn't guess how it would unfold.

"That wasn't her real name, and she didn't actually have golden eyes. She was a half-vampire, half-human child, and her eyes were a beautiful warm brown."

Renesmee's face lit up with joy and amazement. "Like me!"

Edward nodded. "Both her parents were vampires now, and as they only drank the blood of animals, their eyes were usually golden. They called their daughter Goldeneyes because sometimes she wished her eyes were like theirs."

Did Renesmee wish that? She had never shown me a picture of herself with golden eyes, but of course Edward had access to much more of her thoughts.

"Gold eyes are very pretty," she whispered.

"Your eyes are beautiful, and they're perfect for you," Edward told her. "Your mother's eyes were that color when I fell in love with her."

He looked at me, and I was instantly dazzled by his adoring expression. There was no way to get used to his extreme beauty and his infinite love for me. I dissolved into a puddle anytime he unleashed that gaze on me. I _wanted_ him. My mind was full of nothing but Edward and his face, his voice, his touch. But something else intruded in my memories and fantasies, a vision of Renesmee's bedroom. Oops. Her hand was on my cheek, and she was waiting for Edward to continue the story. I tore my eyes away from my husband and looked at our daughter. It felt like I'd been caught in his spell for hours, but it hadn't been long at all. She looked only mildly cross. Edward took a deep breath and cleared his throat.

"Well, one day when Goldeneyes was out hunting with her parents, she wandered off by herself while they weren't paying attention." He smirked. Yes, I could see how that could happen. "She felt safe in the woods because she knew she could run very fast and nothing would be able to hurt her. She wanted to explore, and she headed towards a part of the forest that she had never seen. She wandered among mossy trees and fallen logs. Birds twittered in the branches and chipmunks rustled in the leaves. Soon she came to a pretty little cottage. She could tell from the quiet and the absence of any strong scent that nobody was home. She was a curious girl, and what do you think she did? She opened the door and went inside."

Renesmee looked positively gleeful with anticipation.

"The first room she stepped into was a kitchen. There was a stove and cupboards and a table and chairs, and on the table were three steaming bowls of porridge. Goldeneyes's mother had always told her that she should try human food, so even though it didn't smell particularly good, she decided to taste the porridge. She picked up a spoon and ate some porridge from the first bowl. It was too thick, and she didn't like it at all. Next she dipped the spoon into the second bowl. This porridge was full of lumps. By this point she didn't expect much from the porridge in the third bowl, but she tasted it anyway, just to be fair. It was too thin and watery. She decided that she didn't care for porridge and she would never eat it again."

"What is porridge? Is that a real food?"

"Yes, humans sometimes eat it for breakfast," I told her.

"Does it taste bad?"

"Some people like it, especially when it's cold out."

"Can I try some? For breakfast tomorrow?"

Edward smiled. "Of course, if you want to. How should I make it for you? Thick? Lumpy? Or watery?"

She giggled. "Daddy, you're good at cooking. You'll make it just right."

"Thank you, sweetie. I'll try. Now, Goldeneyes was curious to see the rest of the cottage. The next room she entered was a living room with three different chairs. She wanted to climb into a chair and relax for a while. She sat down in the first chair, but it was very flimsy and it broke. She picked herself up off the floor and sat down in the second chair, but it was a very sleek modern design and not comfortable at all. She was starting to think the furniture in the cottage was no better than the food, but she gave the third chair a try. It was covered in a very slippery fabric and she slid right off. She thought that was fun, and she got on the chair and slid down onto the floor several times. Then she decided she was finished with the chairs.

"There really wasn't much to like about this cottage, but Goldeneyes felt she might as well see everything while she was there, so she went upstairs. There was a big bedroom with three beds. One of them was very big and didn't seem cozy at all. Another was really tiny. She'd have to curl up just to fit in it. So she lay down on the third bed, and she was so tired from all the walking she'd done in the forest that she fell asleep.

"While she was sleeping, the owners of the cottage returned. The inhabitants of the cottage were three bears: a mother bear, father bear and baby bear. They were not at all happy to discover that someone had been in their cottage. They snorted when they noticed that someone had eaten some of their porridge. They could smell that the intruder was very near. They moved into the living room, and they snarled when they saw the broken chair. They raced up the stairs. When they saw a little girl asleep in their bedroom, they growled in anger, and the sound woke Goldeneyes up. What do you think happened when she opened her eyes and saw three bears standing around the bed?"

Renesmee just shook her head in response. Her eyes were wide.

"She bit them!"

Renesmee laughed in relief.

"First she bit the father bear, but his blood tasted too salty. It was awful. Then she bit the mother bear, but her blood tasted too sweet. She didn't like that at all. Then she bit the baby bear, and his blood was just right. It was hot and delicious and satisfying. She was feeding when she heard some noise downstairs. At first she was worried that more bears had arrived or some other enemy was coming. But the air was full of a familiar scent. Her parents had tracked her to the cottage, and they rushed up the stairs to find her drinking from the baby bear with the bodies of two other bears lying on the floor nearby.

"They both scolded her. Her father said, 'Goldeneyes, you should never go so far away from us when we're out hunting. We were really worried about you!'

"Her mother said, 'Goldeneyes, you should not bite an animal unless you're going to drink it. That's wasteful.'

"Goldeneyes said, 'Mommy and Daddy, I'm so happy to see you! I'm sorry. I won't go so far away again. And I'm sorry about these bears, but they didn't taste very good.' She could see that her parents' eyes were still dark with thirst, and she guessed that they were so concerned about finding her that they hadn't stopped to hunt. 'Maybe you can drink them?' she suggested.

"So her father drank all the blood from the father bear. He liked the taste. Her mother drank all the blood from the mother bear. She thought it was nice. Goldeneyes finished the blood from the baby bear, and they were all happy."

"That was a funny story," Renesmee said happily. "I want to tell it to Uncle Emmett."

"He'll like it," I agreed.

"Thank you, Daddy. I love you."

"You're welcome, sweetheart. I love you too." He gave her a goodnight kiss. "See you in the morning." I kissed Renesmee and followed Edward into our bedroom.

He turned to me with a stern expression. "We have to talk about something."

"What is it?" I couldn't imagine what was troubling him. Everything had felt so close and cozy when we were putting Renesmee to bed.

"Do you think it's fair of you to distract me like that in front of our daughter? You were driving me crazy." He pulled me into his arms.

"_Me_ distract _you_?" I yelped. Was he serious?

"Bella, when you look at me that way, all I can think of is holding you, kissing you, making love to you. Have pity! Please don't do that to me unless we're alone," he begged. "I can't handle it!"

"No way," I said, shaking my head. "That was all you. I'm the innocent party here. You had me mesmerized. You made me forget where we were. You're the one who needs to dial it down."

He laughed. "I have no idea what you're talking about. All I can say is, you'd better be ready to finish what you started back there."

I didn't need to be asked twice. I flung myself into his arms and fastened my mouth on his. The heat, the texture and the flavor of his lips and tongue were thrilling. I shifted my weight to topple him on the bed with me. Without a break in the feverish kissing we tore off our clothes. I could taste his venom, inhale his scent, hear his moans, feel his strong body. I paused to run my eyes over his powerful, perfect physique, and I saw the worship and need in his expression. He reached to caress the skin I'd just exposed, but I wanted more. I pulled him close and pressed myself against him. The excitement was already almost unbearable, the pleasure was already invading my body and taking over my mind. "_Now_, Edward," I pleaded, locking my gaze on his. "I'm ready."

* * *

_Author's Note: So, things got a little steamy there. I honestly had no idea that was going to happen, but I followed Edward and Bella out of Renesmee's bedroom into their own, and you know how they are! _

_I hope you liked the story. Please review!_

_Edward wanted a new story for his wife and daughter and I wanted a new story for my readers, so we wrote another one... _


	4. Sleeping Beauty

_Author's Note: __This story now has a beautiful banner created by Edward-Bella-Harry-Ginny. The link is on my profile. Thanks EBHG! Thanks also to Juliejuliejulie who advised me to make a small but critical change to this chapter. And always, many thanks to everyone who reads and reviews!_

* * *

"Once upon a time there was a king and queen who wanted a baby."

"Daddy?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

"Did you want a baby?"

Edward had barely stepped into the batter's box with his latest story, and Renesmee had already aimed a curveball question at him. (Had I actually constructed a valid baseball metaphor? I'd have to check with Emmett later.) My husband's stories were chock full of all manner of rather fraught topics: relationships between vampires and humans, both loving and unhappy, vampires who preyed on humans, conflicts between vampires and werewolves. I'd asked him why he relied on such difficult material. He said there was no getting around it; fairytales deal with fundamental issues of birth, marriage and death. Besides, Renesmee was a very curious child. She regularly confronted us with probing questions. He was ready for this one, though.

"Yes," he said, reaching over to tap her on the nose. "I didn't know that Bella and I could have a baby. But I wanted one, even though I thought it might make Grandpa Charlie very angry at me."

"Why would Grandpa Charlie be angry at you? Because of me?"

"Not because of you. Of course not. He loves you more than anything," he reassured her. "Before you were born, he thought your mother and I were a little bit too young to get married and too young to be parents."

"How could you be too young?" she asked. "I'm too young to go hunting by myself, but you and Mommy are all grown up and always the same."

Edward glanced at me for help. This line of questioning was entirely his own fault, since he had introduced the subject of Charlie's initial concerns into the conversation. I raised my eyebrows at him pointedly before bailing him out.

"Renesmee, don't you want to hear Daddy's new story?"

Edward rewarded me with my favorite crooked smile. Renesmee nodded eagerly, but at the same time she touched my cheek and showed me a picture of herself talking to my father.

"Good idea!" Edward said enthusiastically. "You can ask Grandpa yourself tomorrow. Now, where were we?"

"Once upon a time there was a king and queen who wanted a baby," I prompted him.

"Thank you, love," he said sweetly. "Once upon a time there was a king and queen who wanted a baby. Finally a little girl was born, and they named her Helena. They were extremely happy, and everyone in the kingdom rejoiced with them. Flowers and cards and gifts and congratulations poured in from every corner of the land. There were blankets and books and teddy bears and toys. But among all the packages and mail, there was a strange letter that had no return address. It said, 'I am sorry to have to tell you this, but I have had a vision of your daughter Helena with pale skin and red eyes and sharp, gleaming teeth. She is destined to become a vampire. I know you have no reason to believe this letter, but I have never been wrong before. I thought you should know. From a faithful subject.'"

Renesmee looked astonished. "Who sent it?" she demanded.

"Nobody knew," Edward said. "The king and queen tried to find out, but there were no clues. They were deeply disturbed by this letter. There were stories in their country about vicious vampires who had killed many people. Nobody had seen any vampires for many years, but everyone was still afraid that they might appear again. The king and queen were very worried about the fate predicted for their brand new daughter. They did not know what to think. Their advisors counseled them to ignore the letter. It can't be true, they said. It is a sick joke. It must be from a crazy person. An enemy sent it to upset you. But the king and queen were not able to put it out of their minds.

"Finally, they decided that they had to take action. They had received a warning, and they would never forgive themselves if they did nothing and it came true. They decided that Helena would spend her whole life living in the castle, and they would carefully screen every visitor to be sure that she never met anyone who could be a danger to her. She could play in the courtyard, but they would not let her go out of the castle walls, because then they couldn't control what might happen. The king and queen were very pleased when they came up with this plan. They thought these rules would definitely prevent the awful prophecy they had received. They slept well for the first time in weeks.

"So, Helena grew up this way, confined to the castle and its courtyard. Of course, the king and queen did not want anyone to know about the contents of the letter. The people of the kingdom were told only that the princess would be raised in accordance with strictest, most elevated royal guidelines. Everyone wanted the princess to be properly prepared for her responsibilities, and they believed her parents would do what was best for her. Helena had a team of tutors to teach her math, science, history, languages and literature and give her lessons in music and painting and dancing. Performers came to the castle to entertain her. She even had friends, the children of her parents' friends and senior advisors, who visited regularly and sometimes spent the night.

"Was Helena sad?" I had been caught up in the story, but Renesmee's question gave me pause. Our daughter spent plenty of time outdoors, of course, but she also had to be carefully isolated from strangers for her own safety.

"What do you think?" Edward turned the question back to her. I pressed Renesmee's hand to my cheek to get a glimpse of her thought process. I knew she'd pull away if she didn't want me to see. She reviewed memories of running and playing in her favorite outdoor locations in every season and time of day. Then she flipped through images of our family, Jacob and our Quileute friends, Tanya, Kate, Garrett, Carmen, Eleazar, Nahuel, Huilen, Zafrina. So many people who knew her and adored her.

Finally she announced her answer: "I think she was happy because she had her family and friends."

"I think you're right," Edward agreed. "That's what really matters. When Helena was very young she didn't realize there was anything unusual about her lifestyle. But of course as she got older, she noticed that everyone else could come and go, but she was never permitted to leave the castle walls. Her parents told her that she was special. She was the princess. Helena asked if she could go out wearing a disguise or with bodyguards, but her parents said this was not possible, and they redoubled their efforts to provide everything she might need or want in the castle. Helena often looked wistfully through the windows and loved to hear from her friends about the marketplace and the lake and all the sights she was not permitted to see in person. But she knew her parents loved her very much and she accepted their restrictions.

"When Helena turned eighteen, her parents gave her a special gift that she wanted very much: a puppy. He was friendly and frisky, and she named him Sparky. They spent hours playing together in the courtyard, and at night he slept curled up at the foot of her bed. One morning Sparky woke her up very early, while it was still dark out, She tried to push him away and burrow under the covers and go back to sleep, but he kept licking her face and tugging on her sleeve. Finally she got up to see what he wanted. She followed him out of the door, down several flights of stairs, past many dark and quiet rooms to the kitchen.

"'Are you hungry?' she asked him. He ran to the door. She knew that tradespeople from the village delivered goods to this door, which opened outside the castle. Sparky whined and scratched at the door. Helena decided that she could let Sparky out and remain inside. She had trained him to come when she called. Everything would have worked out fine, except…" Edward's voice trailed off.

"Except what?" I demanded.

"Except," he said slowly. "I was thinking that this story is very long already. Maybe Renesmee should go to sleep now and hear the rest tomorrow night." Renesmee's face took on a look of complete shock.

"No!" she gasped.

"No?" he asked.

"Please, Daddy, please finish the story! I will go right to sleep after," she promised earnestly.

"What do you think, Bella?"

"Hmm." I pondered for a moment. "I think if you don't keep telling the story, we will have to subject you to tickle torture." Renesmee giggled.

"Two against one," he grinned, shaking his head. "I'd better surrender." I nodded at him with satisfaction while Renesmee delighted us with a huge smile. "So," he continued, "everything would have worked out fine, except that a rabbit ran past Sparky and into the woods, and Sparky took off after it. Helena was beside herself. She knew she shouldn't go out, but she couldn't let Sparky get away. Dawn was just breaking. She thought she could catch him and get back before anyone in the castle woke up and realized she was gone. Her love and worry for her pet was stronger than her wish to obey her parents. She ran after Sparky into the woods, calling his name.

"But Helena was accustomed to the smooth pavement in the courtyard of the castle and to trees that grew in pots. She had never been in the woods before. She tripped over a tree root and fell onto her hands and knees. Her dress was torn and dirty, and she had cut her leg. She tried to get to her feet and keep going. Suddenly a strange young man appeared before her. He was very pale and wonderfully attractive."

"He is a vampire!" Renesmee exclaimed, her eyes sparkling.

"Do you think so?" Edward asked. "Let's see what happens next."

"'Are you hurt?' the stranger asked in a beautiful voice.

"'No,' Helena answered, forgetting her worry and her pain as she stared at this fascinating person.

"'You're bleeding,' he pointed out."

Renesmee held her breath and squeezed my hand.

"She followed his gaze to her leg and gasped as she remembered where she was and why. 'My puppy got away, and I was chasing him,' she explained.

"'Your puppy?' he asked.

"'Yes, my puppy Sparky!' she said, her face crumpling in distress. 'I'll never find him now.'

"'I think I can hear him,' the man said. 'Wait here.' Before she could even answer, he vanished, and in moments he had returned with Sparky barking and wriggling frantically in his arms. Sparky scrambled away from the man and jumped onto Helena, licking her face and wagging his tail with great energy.

Renesmee's grip on my hand slackened. "He is a _good_ vampire," she whispered in relief. Edward smiled and carried on with his tale without pausing.

"'Oh, thank you!' she exclaimed, patting Sparky and trying to calm him down. 'Thank you so much!'

"'It was my pleasure,' the stranger responded politely.

"'My name is Helena,' she said.

"'Helena?' he repeated. "_Princess_ Helena?"

"'Yes, of course,' she answered. Since she had only met people who came to her home, she was used to everyone knowing who she was.

"'But you are not supposed to be out of the castle,' he reminded her.

"'No,' she agreed. 'But I don't want to go back just yet! I like it out here. The light is so pretty coming through the trees, and there are different smells and sounds. And….' She paused for a moment. 'I never met anyone like you.'

"'Well, I have certainly never met a princess, so this is a new experience for both of us,' he replied with a smile. 'My name is William.'

"'Do you live near here?' she asked. 'What are you doing in the woods?'

"'Oh, I spend lots of time here, especially at night and early in the morning,' he said. 'It's quiet and beautiful. I know a nice place where we can talk for a little while. Can you walk?' She nodded, and he led her a short distance away where there was a fallen tree to sit on. Sparky romped nearby and investigated all the trees and plants and rocks around them. He showed no inclination to dash off again. William asked Helena what she liked to do, and she told him about some of her favorite books. He had read some of them and recommended others he thought she might like.

"'I think you should go back home now,' he said after they had been chatting for a while. 'Everyone will be dreadfully worried if they realize you're gone.'

"'But,' she said, looking into his eyes. 'Can I see you again? Will you come to visit me? Please?'

"'I don't think that will work,' he said slowly. 'Visitors for the princess must be approved.' She dropped her gaze and blood rushed into her face.

"'Well, it was lovely to meet you,' she whispered. 'Thank you again so much for catching Sparky for me. I'll never forget you.'

"'Wait!' he said, frowning. 'I'm sorry. That sounded like I don't want to see you again, and I do.'

"'You do?'

"'Yes. I just don't think I can come to the castle. Your parents would never agree.'

"'Why not?'

"He sighed. 'It's a long story. Maybe I can explain next time. Do you think you can meet me here in the woods again?'

"Now, what do you think happened next?" Edward asked.

"I think Helena said yes!" Renesmee replied happily.

"You're right, because that is what _would _have happened. But you're wrong because, just then, just as she was about to answer, they heard something that made both of them freeze in panic. It was a very loud noise booming through the trees. Helena recognized it as the voice of the chief of security for the castle, speaking into a bullhorn.

"'Princess Helena! Princess Helena!' the chief said. 'We know you left the castle. Come out immediately!'

"'Oh, no!' she exclaimed. 'You should go. I don't want you to get in trouble. You haven't done anything wrong. I am not sure when I can sneak out and meet you. I'll have to get a message to you somehow. But please just go now!'

"The chief's amplified voice continued to fill the air. William objected to Helena's request, but she insisted that he leave. So William reached over and took her hand and when he saw her pleased expression, he lifted it to his lips and kissed it. Then, as quickly as before, he departed. Helena turned to make her way towards the people who were searching for her. 'I'm here!' she shouted. She began running, so as to get to them sooner and relieve the anxiety she knew her parents must be feeling. 'I'm sorry! I had to follow Sparky!'

"'Princess Helena! Stay where you are. We'll come get you.' Just as the chief spoke these words and directed the search team to where Sparky was racing out of the trees ahead of his mistress, Helena tripped again. This time, she didn't get up. The security officers rushed over, and they saw that Helena had hit her head on a rock. She was unconscious and badly hurt. They carefully loaded her onto a stretcher and took her back to the castle.

"The royal doctors examined Helena's injuries. She was in a coma, and they told her parents to prepare for the worst. Helena might never wake up. Or her vital functions might deteriorate, and she would slip away. Her parents were devastated. One of them was always with Helena, and often both of them sat together at her bedside, lamenting how things had turned out.

"'If only she had stayed inside the castle like she was supposed to…'

"'If only we hadn't gotten her the puppy…'

"'If only we had let her go out of the castle so she was familiar with the woods….'

"'If only we had kept her under better supervision….'

"The king and queen took turns uttering these useless regrets.

"'But,' the queen said. 'I don't understand, because the letter said that she would become…' Her voice dropped to a whisper. '….a vampire.' She continued in a normal tone of voice. 'If the letter had warned us that she would trip and hit her head and go into a coma, we could have taken proper precautions.'

"'I guess the letter was just wrong,' the king said sadly, patting Sparky who lay curled at Helena's feet.

I glanced at Renesmee. She was absolutely mesmerized.

"Everyone in the kingdom was concerned about the princess. The doctors said all they could do was wait and watch and hope. Her parents decided they had nothing to lose. They promised that anyone who could revive their daughter would be rewarded with her hand in marriage. Many people came to try to wake the princess up. Physicians came: young doctors with the latest experimental techniques and experienced doctors with tried-and-true remedies. Village healers came with colorful crystals and aromatic steam and special lotions. Her friends came and pleaded with her to return to them. Comedians came and told jokes that might startle her to her senses. Musicians came to perform, hoping that familiar tunes or perhaps the sheer volume of noise would reach her. Nothing worked. It seemed like Helena would sleep forever.

"Late one night, Helena took a turn for the worse. The nurses noticed that her vital signs were weakening. Her heart rate was slowing, and the level of oxygen in her blood was falling. Her mother stroked her hair and wept silently. Her father held her hand. In the morning, they announced to the kingdom that despite everyone's hopes and prayers and all the attempts to heal her, Helena was very close to death.

"Shortly after this statement was made public, a young man presented himself at the castle gate. He said he wanted to try to save the princess.

"'It's too late,' the gatekeeper informed him.

"'Too late!' he exclaimed in horror. 'Did she die?'

"'No, but she's very weak. She only has hours to live now.'

"'Then I _am_ in time!' he insisted. 'Please let me in. I know I can wake her up.'

"The gatekeeper grumbled about impertinent young men who intruded on a house of sorrow, but he sent word to the king and queen that another person had come to try to revive the princess. They also believed it was too late. They wanted to spend Helena's last moments with her in private. But they felt they had to try everything.

"The visitor was escorted to Helena's chamber. Sparky immediately jumped from Helena's bed and ran over to sniff him and lick his hand. The king and queen thought he was a very handsome young man. They noticed that he had very pale skin and very unusual golden eyes.

"'Greetings, your majesties,' he said politely, in a smooth, melodious voice. 'My name is William.'

"William," repeated Renesmee with a contented smile.

"The queen looked kindly at him. 'It's nice to meet you, William. Do you think you have a way to save Helena?' she asked.

"'I know I do,' he said confidently. 'But it is rather unorthodox.'

"'Well, all conventional methods have failed,' the king admitted.

"'Please go ahead,' the queen said. 'There isn't much time.'

"The young man shook his head. 'With all due respect, your majesties, I want to make sure you understand what you are agreeing to. First, you will have to leave me alone with Helena for three days. And take Sparky with you.'

"'Three days!' the queen exclaimed. 'But—'

"'I know,' he interrupted. 'She is not expected to live that long. But she will be awake and ready to speak to you three days from now.'

"The king and queen looked desperately eager.

"'Second,' William continued. 'You may hear her screaming. The procedure is extremely painful.'

"'Screaming?' the king asked incredulously. 'But she hasn't made a sound in months, since the day she hit her head.'

"'No matter what you hear, you must leave us alone until the three days are up.' The king and queen nodded their agreement. 'Third, it will take several years for her to recover fully from the treatment. I'll help her through all that and tell you later what arrangements will be necessary then. But you have to accept that during that time you won't be able to be close to her. You can only speak to her from a distance.'

"'But you're saying that after that time, she'll be cured? Able to walk and talk and everything as before?' the queen asked hopefully.

"'Yes,' he said. 'She will be able to walk and talk, nearly everything she did before. But she will be different. That is the fourth condition you must agree to.'

"'And you can marry her,' the king reminded him. 'William, if you can do this when the situation has become completely hopeless, you'll have earned the reward we promised and much more besides.'

"'Well,' William said. 'We can ask her what she thinks about that when she wakes up.' The king and the queen kissed Helena and said goodbye to her. They liked William, and they could see that he had no doubt in what he was saying, but they had been disappointed many times.

"As soon as William and Helena were alone, he approached her and gently ran his finger along her cheek. 'I'm sorry, Helena,' he said. 'I hope this is the right thing to do.' Then he bit her. As you guessed, he was a vampire, and he knew that his venom would heal Helena's injuries as it transformed her into a powerful, ageless being like him. As he predicted, Helena screamed with the pain of the venom spreading through her body. He talked to her and explained many times what had happened to her since they had met in the woods and what was happening now. Everything happened as he had assured her parents. Helena did speak to them when she woke up. She said that she felt very well and strong, but she could not be near people just yet. William showed her how to hunt animals as he did, and over time she became accustomed to her new needs and abilities.

"When she felt ready, they saw her parents in person and explained that they were both vampires. The king and queen were rather shocked, but they had grown to trust and love William for helping their daughter, and of course they were grateful that Helena's injury had been cured and she was healthy. They had to admit that William and Helena were quite different from what they had feared. William and Helena got married, and as far as I know, they are still living happily together to this day."

Renesmee sighed happily. "Daddy, I love that story," she said sleepily.

"Thank you, sweetie."

"I have a question."

He nodded, smiling at what he heard in her mind. "Ask so Mommy can hear."

"If nobody sent the letter, then they wouldn't keep her in the castle, and then she wouldn't get hurt that way, and then the letter wouldn't come true. What would happen if her parents didn't get the letter?"

"That's a good question," I praised her.

"I don't know," he said. "That would be a different story. What do you think would happen? Would Helena meet William anyway? Would she still end up as a vampire even without the letter?"

"Yes. Because some things were meant to be."

But it wasn't our daughter who answered Edward's question. It was me.

* * *

_Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed the story. I didn't want them all to be princess/romance tales, but I thought it was time for another one. Please let me know if you liked it! _


	5. Shoemaker and the Elves

_Author's Note: Thank you so much for your positive response to this little series! It makes me so happy. _

_Edward's new story is based on The Shoemaker and the Elves, which isn't as well-known and beloved as the others. But I'm familiar with it, because a good friend always cites it as his favorite fairytale. I hope you like it._

* * *

"Renesmee, before I start the story, I want to explain something."

She gazed at Edward attentively.

"Well, you know Uncle Emmett is my brother, Aunt Alice is my sister, but we all came from different parents. We're siblings now because we choose to be together with Carlisle and Esme as our father and mother. But we were born into different families. That's different from Leah and Seth. They are brother and sister because they have the same parents, Sue and Harry."

I felt Renesmee's hand on my face and saw a picture of Sue with my father. I could sense her question.

"Leah and Seth's father died before you were born," I told her. I looked straight into my husband's eyes and spoke to him in my thoughts. _Edward, I love you._ _Please don't be upset! _"I knew him. He was a nice man and a very good friend of Grandpa Charlie. After a while, Sue and Grandpa Charlie decided they loved each other."

Renesmee turned back to Edward, ready to hear more, but she frowned at his expression. Of course, I didn't want him to be troubled, but it was kind of nice to know that despite decades of perfecting his poker face, so necessary for hiding his gift, he couldn't or wouldn't conceal his feelings from us. "Daddy, are you sad?"

"A little bit sad," he admitted, looking down at his lap. She waited for him to elaborate. He spoke slowly. "You see, the same day that Harry died, your mother did something dangerous. I wasn't there, and I didn't know what happened to her, and… I was really worried."

Renesmee laughed. "Daddy! How could you not be there? You are always with Mommy."

_Listen to our daughter_, I advised him silently. He smiled and seemed to relax. "You're right, sweetie. I am always with Mommy."

"Daddy wasn't with me in Forks that day," I said. "But I was thinking about him, and he was thinking about me. We were together in our hearts."

"I love you both so much," Edward said. "Did I ever tell you that I'm the luckiest man who ever lived?"

"Yes," I answered, while Renesmee giggled. "Now, don't you have something else to tell us?"

"What?" He looked puzzled.

"Daddy, the story!"

"The story," he repeated, a broad smile gracing his glorious face. "Right. Well, what I wanted to make sure you knew is that sometimes humans who are brother and sister can both be changed to vampires." _Like Alec and Jane_, I thought with a flash of hatred, and Edward nodded. "That's what happened before this story begins. Once upon a time, there were two vampires who were brother and sister. Their names were Thomas and Valerie. Like your Uncle Jasper, they had been changed in order to be part of an army. They became skilled fighters and spent many years in battle. But they did not really like to live that way. They plotted together in secret while their commander was occupied with other matters, and finally they were able to escape. They immediately returned to the town in which they had grown up. They wanted to see what had become of their parents and friends and their older brother.

"However, they had not kept very good track of time while they were at war. Many, many years had passed. Thomas and Valerie were still in their late teens, but their parents had grown old and died, and so had their friends, and so had their brother. From a distance, Thomas and Valerie listened carefully to the gossip in the town square. They learned that their family had fallen on hard times when they had been kidnapped and pressed into the vampire army. Their parents had neglected their business while they spent months and years searching for their missing children. Only one descendent remained, their brother's son Martin.

"Martin followed the family tradition of making shoes. Their parents had owned a large shop in the center of town, but that had been lost after their troubles began. Martin sold his shoes from the tiny cottage where he now lived on the outskirts of town. Thomas and Valerie decided they must do what they could for their nephew, as he was all that was left of the family, but they were not sure how to help him. Of course, they could not reveal themselves to him or anyone."

Renesmee nodded solemnly. She understood the rules of our existence.

"They decided to give him some money. They roamed about until they came across a band of thieves. When the thieves hid their gold in the forest, Thomas and Valerie took it and left it outside Martin's door. They watched the next morning to see the results of their good deed. Martin was extremely surprised when he saw the unfamiliar bag outside his door, and he was shocked when he opened it and saw the gold coins. He picked up the bag and went inside.

"'He doesn't look happy,' Valerie observed.

"'I don't understand,' said Thomas.

"In a few moments Martin emerged still carrying the bag. He went directly to the church. Thomas and Valerie followed, keeping well out of sight. They listened in amazement as Martin explained to the priest how he had found the bag and asked him for advice. The priest declared that it would be impossible to determine the rightful owner. He said that Martin could keep the gold. Martin thanked him for his time and announced that he wanted to donate the gold to the church to repair the roof and provide for some of the needy parishioners. The priest began to thank Martin profusely, and Thomas and Valerie retreated into the woods to discuss the matter.

"'Well, that didn't work,' Thomas stated ruefully.

"'What should we do?' Valerie asked. 'There's no point in finding more gold. He'll just do the same thing.'

"'Maybe we should give up. We tried. We gave him something, and he decided how he wanted to use it,' Thomas suggested.

"'No, let's not give up yet,' Valerie argued. 'Let's watch him and maybe we can figure something out.'

"So they monitored Martin. He was respected and well-liked, but he had so little to his name. He ate very humble meals. He had no inventory to sell. He only had just enough leather for one more pair of shoes. Thomas and Valerie watched one evening as he carefully cut out the leather and left it on the work bench before going to sleep.

"'Maybe we could put up posters encouraging people to buy Martin's shoes,' Thomas proposed.

"'What shoes?' Valerie asked. 'There is only enough leather to make one pair.' Suddenly she began running towards the cottage.

"'Where are you going? What are you doing?' her brother asked as he ran after her.

"'You'll see!' she told him. 'Warn me if anyone comes along. We can't let anyone see us.' While Thomas kept a lookout, Valerie crept into the cottage. She made no noise, and she needed no light. She picked up the tools and the leather on the work bench and began sewing swiftly. She knew how, because she had been watching and learning how to make shoes from the time she was a very little girl. In a few moments, she left the finished shoes on the table and danced out of the cottage. The two vampires spent the rest of the night hunting.

"They were back outside the cottage when Martin woke up. They could see through the window as he made his bed, ate a simple breakfast and prepared to begin work. He started with surprise when he saw the shoes on the table. He picked them up and looked at them with an expression of wonder. Thomas nudged Valerie in the ribs. A man and woman were approaching the cottage. They were customers! Martin still seemed confused, but he showed them the new pair of shoes. Valerie beamed with pride as the customers praised the small, neat stitches. The couple bought the shoes. Martin immediately went to the tannery where he was able to buy enough leather for two pairs of shoes. As he had the evening before, he cut out the pieces and left them on the work bench and went to bed.

"This time Thomas and Valerie both sneaked into the cottage. Since Martin was fast asleep, they lit a candle to enable them work better and faster. They noticed that although there was not much in the way of furniture, there was a portrait on the wall of the two of them with their older brother, which had been painted shortly before they were taken from their home.

"'Look, Thomas,' Valerie whispered. 'It's us. Do you remember?'

"Her brother smiled. 'Our brother said the artist made us too attractive! I guess he was right. We didn't look that good then. That's what we look like _now_. But let's get to work.' Thomas completed one pair of shoes and was ready to go in a few minutes, but Valerie shook her head. 'Come on,' he said, speaking very quietly so as not to disturb Martin. 'We're done.'

"'They're not quite right,' she said, frowning.

"'What do you mean?' he asked. 'Martin cut out the pieces, and we sewed them together. They look good.'

"Ignoring him, Valerie swept her eyes around the small room. 'Aha!' she said. She pulled out some of the small scrap pieces of leather from the bin. She carefully cut out star shapes and she sewed them onto the sides of the shoes she had made. '_Now_ they look good,' she said with satisfaction. She arranged the two pairs of shoes on the table."

Under her covers, Renesmee wriggled with excitement. "I bet they were very pretty!" she said. With Alice and Rosalie coaching her, Renesmee had developed a keen interest in clothing and accessories.

"Once again Martin was surprised to find the finished shoes waiting for him. He picked them up and examined them closely. Thomas and Valerie watched customers arrive. First the shoes Valerie had decorated and then the shoes Thomas had sewn were sold. The two vampires were delighted that they had found a way to help their nephew prosper. Again Martin used the proceeds from the sales to buy more leather, which he cut out before going to bed. Thomas and Valerie entered the cottage after he was asleep and assembled the shoes, and this time Valerie added a special flourish to each pair.

"The night after that, Martin left a note along with the leather he had cut to make more shoes. He thanked his mysterious helpers for completing his work and for doing such a good job that word was already spreading about the finely made and beautifully designed shoes. He asked if he could pay them or reward them in some way. Valerie and Thomas replied that they were extremely pleased to be able to help such an honest, hard-working and talented man. They instructed him never to try to spy on them. They warned him that if he laid eyes on them, they would have to leave for his own safety.

"Thomas, Valerie and Martin went on in this way for quite some time. Martin became more and more successful. People came from all around to purchase his distinctive, well-made shoes. Throughout the region he was praised for the tiny even stitching and special designs. The two vampires were happy to see that Martin was able to buy nicer things for himself. They also noticed that he did not sell all of the shoes that they made together. Some of them he gave to the priest at the church to distribute to people who could not afford to buy sturdy new shoes."

Renesmee's face lit up. "We do that!" she said happily. "When we give away clothes and when I pick out toys and books for the homeless shelter."

Edward beamed at her. "That's right. Because we have more than we need, we should help people who don't have as much."

"Is that the end of the story?" she asked.

Edward shook his head. "No, sweetie. It could have been the end, but after many months, Martin decided he had to know the identity of his benefactors. He went to bed as usual, but he stayed awake. When it was very late at night, he cautiously crept to the doorway of his bedroom. Thomas and Valerie were working and did not notice that his breathing was faster and his heartbeat was nearer. Then they heard a gasp. They jumped to their feet. For a long moment all three of them stared at each other in the light of the candle. 'You are so familiar!' Martin exclaimed. 'Do I know you?' His voice jolted them from their frozen positions, and Thomas and Valerie dashed away.

"'What are we going to do?' Valerie said in distress when they had run some distance from the cottage.

"'We should leave this area right now. We shouldn't have stayed so long where someone might recognize us,' her brother answered.

"'But I don't want to just leave Martin,' she protested. 'He is our nephew and the only relative we have left.'

"'Let's see what he is doing. If he went back to sleep maybe he'll think it was just a dream,' Thomas said.

"But as they silently approached the cottage, they saw the candle still burning. Martin had taken the portrait from the wall and was examining it closely.

"'He knows who we are,' moaned Valerie in dismay.

"They saw Martin briefly writing something. Then he stepped out of the cottage and closed the door. 'If there is anyone listening,' he announced loudly. 'I am going for a walk, and I won't be back until it is light out.'

"'He wants us to go inside,' Valerie whispered.

"They held hands as they slowly entered the cottage. Valerie gasped with wonder. On the table were two objects they recognized immediately: their mother's silver bracelet and their father's silver flask. Next to these familiar treasures, Martin had left a note.

"'To my wonderful helpers,' the note said, 'I am so sorry I did not follow your wishes and leave you alone. You said before that you would not be able to stay, but I hope you will remain long enough to get this note. I believe you are the ghosts of my aunt and uncle who disappeared from this village forty years ago. If you are, perhaps you would be interested in these family heirlooms. My grandparents never stopped hoping that you would return. Long ago I promised to give you these things when I saw you. I am so grateful for everything you have done for me, and I will never forget you. Again please accept my apologies and my best wishes for a happy future. Your loving nephew Martin.'

"'He could have sold these things,' Thomas said quietly. 'He had practically nothing, but he kept them for us.'

"Valerie dipped the pen in ink and prepared to write. Together they composed a reply.

"'Dear Martin, there is no need to apologize. We understand your curiosity. We are very glad we were able to be near you and help you for a while, but it is too dangerous for everyone for us to stay here where people might know us. Thank you for saving the bracelet and flask for us for all these years. We will take the bracelet as we both remember our mother wearing it, but we have no use for the flask, and we would like you to keep it and perhaps give it to your child someday. Love, Valerie and Thomas.'

"Thomas helped Valerie fasten the bracelet to her wrist, and the two of them sadly left the cottage. They decided to make a fresh start in a faraway country.

"Martin was very happy when he returned and read their note. He continued making shoes, and his shop continued to prosper even though he could not sew as quickly and neatly as his aunt and uncle had. Valerie could no longer add her special touch to each pair, but he copied the designs she had made. Eventually Martin married a young seamstress who learned how to help him in his business. They had twins, a boy and girl, whom they named Thomas and Valerie. The children loved to hear the story of how their father had been down to almost nothing and how his aunt and uncle, no older than the day they had been kidnapped, had come back to help him. While they listened to their father recount this turning point in his life, they drank ginger tea from their silver flask."

Renesmee sighed with contentment as she relaxed against her pillow. "Their father told them a story just like you do," she commented.

"Do you think they heard the story at bedtime?" I asked her.

She nodded. "Bedtime is the best time for stories because then you can have dreams."

"Pleasant dreams, sweetheart," Edward said, as we kissed her goodnight.

"Do you wish you could dream, Daddy?"

"No," he said, smiling at her fondly. "My life with you and Mommy is better than any dream I could ever have."

"That was a really nice story," I said as we gently closed Renesmee's door. "It was interesting how they helped their nephew and then moved on."

He laughed quietly. "Bella, that's how we always lived. Carlisle would treat the humans for their injuries and illnesses and my brothers and sisters and I would go to school with them, and then one day we'd leave and they'd never hear from us again. It's only in Forks that we got so mixed up with the locals."

"_Mixed up_?" I repeated indignantly. "Edward Cullen! Is that how you think of it?"

He smirked. "Maybe that wasn't the best choice of words," he allowed. "How about 'entangled'?"

I shook my head gravely.

"Enmeshed? Entwined? Am I just digging myself in deeper?"

"'Entwined' _could_ be okay," I decided. "But things can be entwined in a good way or a bad way. A con man and his victims could be described as 'entwined.'"

"How about if you take your clothes off and I show you what I mean by 'entwined'? Then you can tell me if it's good or bad."

I put my arms around him and slid my hands into his hair. "Deal."

He kissed my temple and began dropping kisses along my face, moving towards my mouth. "I was hoping you'd say that." His voice fell to a velvet whisper. "Bella Cullen."

* * *

_Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed the story. Please review-- it means so much to me!_


	6. Princess and the Pea

"Once upon a time there was a young prince who was in love with a vampire." Edward looked at Renesmee's shining eyes and nodded. "Yes," he told her.

Her mind must have immediately filled with questions at the dramatic opening of his new story. _Yes, what? _I asked him mentally. He grinned at me. "Should I tell Mommy your question?" he asked her. She nodded.

"Yes, you two are the most wonderful girls in the world."

"Daddy! Not that! That wasn't my question!" Renesmee's perfect little face formed an adorable pout.

He chuckled. "I'm sorry. I can't keep my thoughts straight when I'm surrounded by so much beauty."

I rolled my eyes. "You sure have a golden tongue."

"You would know," he smirked.

"Edward! Get on with the story!"

He laughed. I loved seeing him so playful and relaxed. Our daughter had brought out aspects of my husband that I'd never imagined. He hadn't aged in almost a hundred years, but being a father made him both older and younger. The air was loaded with the lovely scent that meant my family, and my heart was bursting with happiness. Paradise wasn't a garden or a tropical island. It was right here and right now, with Renesmee's joyful expression and Edward's rich, compelling voice continuing the story.

"Yes, he knew she was a vampire. You see, a long time before the story begins, the rulers of the kingdom had discovered that there were vampires living among them."

"Like the pack!" Renesmee exclaimed.

Edward nodded. "Something like that," he confirmed. "But the rulers were not able to fight vampires like the wolves can. Still, they agreed to let the vampires stay, and the vampires agreed not to hurt anyone and to protect the people of the kingdom from any enemies that might threaten them. The prince and his family knew the secret, but they were the only ones. His name was Malcolm and the girl he loved was named Caroline. Caroline was so pretty and so intelligent and so interesting that of course he fell in love with her. And Malcolm was so handsome and so kind and so much fun that she fell in love with him.

"It sounds like everything was perfect for this beautiful young couple. But if that were the case, there would be no story. In fact, there was a problem: Malcolm's mother, the queen. The queen had married into the royal family and she was not at all happy to learn that there were vampires who were permitted, even encouraged, to make their home in the kingdom. She felt that such creatures could not be trusted. Her husband the king pointed out that there had been no trouble from these vampires for generations and that they did their part to keep the crime rate exceedingly low. The queen said they were just lulling him into a false sense of security and were planning to strike when least expected."

"Huh," Renesmee scoffed. She showed me a picture of Edward hunting. The lion, a fearsome predator in its own right, had no chance. I understood her point. We were so strong and fast that we didn't need the element of surprise. Edward chuckled at her thoughts.

"The queen was not thinking logically," he explained. "She just knew she didn't like vampires. She felt nervous and uncomfortable around them, which is very natural. She was aware that Malcolm liked to spend time with Caroline, but she didn't know how much he cared for her. She assumed that he felt the same way she did. She thought he was just cementing the alliance for when he became king. Well, you can imagine her reaction when Malcolm told his parents that he and Caroline were in love and wanted to marry.

"'Impossible!' she declared. 'She's not our sort. You should marry a proper princess.'

"'I love Caroline, and I won't have anyone else,' Malcolm declared.

"'You won't be able to have children. This will be the end of the family.'

"'We want to have children, and we will have them, by adoption. That could happen if I married a human girl instead, you know. The only difference is that we already know.'

"The queen continued to state her objections. 'She won't be able to perform her official duties because she can't go out during the day.'

"'We will tell everyone that she has exceptionally sensitive skin and has to stay inside or be protected from sunlight.'

"'People will notice that she doesn't get older.'

"'They will simply think I am a very lucky man. And they will be right. Mother, we have thought about and talked about everything. We are in love, and we want your blessing to be married.'

The queen asked the king what he thought. 'It is unexpected, to be sure,' he said. 'I think Malcolm and Caroline must love each other very much or they wouldn't be prepared to take such an unusual step. We should be happy for our son.' But the queen was not at all ready to accept a vampire as her daughter-in-law.

"'Mother, please just give her a chance,' Malcolm begged. 'If you got to know her, you'd see how special and wonderful she is. She's so beautiful, so smart, so graceful. She'll be a wonderful queen someday.'

"Finally the queen agreed that Caroline would be invited to stay at the castle for the weekend. Malcolm was pleased that his mother was willing to spend time with Caroline. But the queen did not really have an open mind. She saw the visit as an opportunity to prove to her son that the relationship would never work.

"She prepared the guest room very carefully for Caroline. 'I want to be sure she is comfortable,' she told her husband and Malcolm, as she gave orders to install a stack of twenty mattresses on the bed.

"'Mother!' Malcolm said impatiently. 'You know Caroline doesn't even sleep!'

"'That may be,' the queen said grandly. 'But I want to show her my royal hospitality by making the guest room as luxurious as possible.' The king and the prince sighed and let her have her way.

"But the queen had a secret reason for piling up so many mattresses. She believed very firmly that in order to run the castle properly and be an asset to the kingdom, a princess must be able to notice anything that was out of place or not quite right. So underneath the bottom layer, she placed a large diamond earring. Caroline's failure to detect the gem would give her fresh ammunition to ensure that this wholly inappropriate relationship ended.

"The sun shone late into the evening on that summer day, so Caroline did not arrive at the castle until shortly before bedtime. She was very nervous, because she knew this weekend would be pivotal. The warm greetings from Malcolm and his father helped put her at ease, and even the Queen seemed nice enough as she escorted Caroline to the guest bedroom. Caroline was a bit startled to see the unusual number of mattresses on the bed. She glanced at Malcolm, and he just shrugged in apology. So she simply thanked the king and queen and wished them all a good night.

"The queen was rather agitated in the morning as the family went to Caroline's room to begin the day. 'Good morning!' Caroline said, greeting Malcolm and his parents cheerfully.

"'Good morning, dear,' the queen said. 'How was your night?'

"'Fine, thank you,' said Caroline. 'But there was something strange. I found an earring in the bed, underneath all the mattresses.' She held it up. The morning light filtering into the room caused the diamond and Caroline's skin to sparkle. 'Were you looking for this?'

"'My earring!' the Queen exclaimed in consternation. 'I am so sorry. I don't know how that could have happened.' She was disturbed that her plan was unsuccessful, but to the others it seemed that she was upset that she had lost track of her jewelry.

"Malcolm was glancing around in confusion. 'The room looks different somehow,' he remarked.

"'Oh, that,' Caroline said sheepishly. 'Well, as you know, I don't need to sleep. So I brought my craft materials, and I decided to pass the time by crocheting some lace panels for the windows here. But if you don't like them, you don't have to keep them,' she added quickly. 'The window treatments in this room are really lovely. I just like to keep busy.'"

"Aunt Alice is the same way," Renesmee interjected happily.

"The queen approached the windows to examine Caroline's handiwork. 'You did this? All in one night?' she asked. 'They're _beautiful_. And you incorporated the flower motif from the fabric curtains. What a nice detail.' She couldn't help smiling at Caroline. 'May we keep these? They are just the perfect finishing touch for this chamber.'

"'Of course,' Caroline said, smiling back. 'I crocheted these panels for you and for this room, and I'd be delighted to make more designs anytime.' Malcolm was thrilled to see his mother behaving with approval towards his love.

"'Thank you very much,' the queen said. 'Now, you two run along and have fun together this morning. But I hope Caroline will join me later. At 3:00 we are holding a tea party for some of the ladies of the village and their children.'

"'Mother!' Malcolm objected. 'Caroline doesn't eat or drink like we do. And it might not be safe for her to be outside.'

"'Don't worry about that, darling,' the queen replied. 'The forecast calls for heavy clouds, and I've ordered a large canopy to be set up. Caroline simply must learn how the royal family is expected to entertain.'

"'That sounds lovely,' Caroline said bravely. 'Of course I will be there.'

"As Caroline made her way across the castle lawn to the party, she knew she was still on trial. The queen introduced her to the other guests, and she began to relax somewhat as they chatted pleasantly. But something attracted her attention. She asked to speak to the queen privately. The queen didn't want to leave the guests on their own, but she saw that Caroline was quite determined and she took her aside.

"'What is it?' she asked, somewhat sharply. 'We really ought to remain with the others.'

"'I'm sorry,' Caroline said quickly. 'There is something wrong with the cream you are serving with the tea. It's gone off. I can smell it.'"

Renesmee wrinkled her nose. "Human food!" she exclaimed with disgust.

Edward grinned at her. "It doesn't smell very good to vampires even when it's fresh," he agreed. "But of course Caroline could still tell it was spoiled much better than the humans could."

"The queen's mouth dropped open. 'Oh, no!' she cried. 'Are you sure?' When Caroline nodded, the queen directed her to return to the party while she quickly gave orders to replace the cream before anyone could use it. She rejoined the others, beaming with satisfaction that the problem had been taken care of without the guests being aware. She smiled warmly at Caroline and made sure she was included in the conversation. Caroline was very pleased with the queen's more positive attitude towards her. As she talked to her hostess and the other guests, she suddenly heard a faint sound, too quiet for any of the humans to notice. What do you think she heard?"

"A mouse?" Renesmee guessed. Edward shook his head. "A bird?" Another negative gesture. "Tell, Daddy, tell!" she begged. "What was it?"

"'Excuse me for a moment,' Caroline said politely. 'I'm going to see what the children are up to over there.' She had heard a small child whimpering in fear. She walked at a swift human pace to where the younger guests were playing, and she saw that a little boy had climbed high up in a tree and was afraid to move.

Renesmee pressed her hand to my cheek and presented an image of herself leaping down from a very tall tree.

"That wouldn't happen to you," I agreed. "But the boy in the story isn't like you. He reminds me of someone, though." She looked puzzled. "Me, when I was human! The first time that Daddy went running with me on his back, I was so sick and scared that when he stopped, I couldn't let go." She giggled at the thought of my incapacity. Edward's crooked smile and the love glowing in his golden eyes told me that we were thinking of the same thing—the kiss that had followed that moment.

"What happened to the boy?" Renesmee asked, snapping us out of our memories.

"Just as Caroline drew near, he began to try to climb down, but his eyes were shut tight. He couldn't really see where he should put his feet, and he tumbled out of the tree. The queen and the ladies heard the screams from him and the other children who were watching. They came running and they all saw Caroline catch him. Of course, the boy's mother was extremely grateful to Caroline for saving her son, and so was everyone else. The queen suspected that Caroline had heard something that made her go near the trees, but the others were just so relieved that nobody was hurt that they didn't wonder why Caroline had been there.

"That evening, the queen spoke to Malcolm and Caroline. 'The king and I have talked it over,' she announced. 'We have decided that you should not get married next summer as you requested.' Caroline's face fell and Malcolm opened his mouth to protest, but the queen held up her hand for silence. 'We think you should get married as soon as possible,' she continued. 'Caroline, I am sorry that I was hesitant at first, and I now believe you will be a wonderful addition to our royal family.' One month later, when the young couple were married, Caroline wore the diamond earrings that the queen had put under her mattresses to try to trick her."

"Thank you, Daddy," Renesmee said, with an expression of perfect contentment. "Do you know what that story reminds me of? When I was little and our friends came to see me. They didn't like me at first, but then they did."

I smiled at my miracle child. "To know you is to love you," I said stroking her hair.

"There's a song with those lyrics," Edward commented. "Do you know it?"

I shook my head. "Sing it for us, please."

_To know, know, know her  
is to love, love, love her.  
Just to see her smile  
makes my life worthwhile.  
Yes just to know, know, know her  
is to love, love, love her  
and I do, and I do, and I do.  
And I do, and I do, and I do._

_I'll be good to her.  
I'll be true to her.  
Everyone says there'll come a day  
when I'll walk alongside of her.  
Yes just to know, know, know her  
is to love, love, love her  
and I do, and I do, and I do,  
and I do, and I do, and I do._

His enchanting voice fell quiet, and I could tell from the precious sounds of our daughter's breathing and heartbeat that she had fallen asleep. We sat in silence for a few moments, and then he whispered my name.

_Yes? _I answered without speaking.

"I do."

* * *

_Author's Note: _

_Edward's song is by Phil Spector and was originally written as To Know Him Is To Love Him. It was a number 1 hit in 1958, and I'm sure that Edward knows and likes it. It's been recorded by various musicians including the Beatles and has been adjusted to To Know Her... or To Know You..._

_I hope you liked the story! Please review and let me know what you think. _


	7. Three Little Pigs

"That evening, the queen spoke to Malcolm and Caroline. 'The king and I have talked it over,' she announced. 'We have decided that you should not get married next summer as you requested.' Caroline's face fell and Malcolm opened his mouth to protest, but the queen held up her hand for silence. 'We think you should get married as soon as possible,' she continued. 'Caroline, I am sorry that I was hesitant at first, and I now believe you will be a wonderful addition to our royal family.' One month later, when the young couple were married, Caroline wore the diamond earrings that the queen had put under her mattresses to try to trick her."

Everyone listened in rapt silence as Renesmee read the conclusion of Edward's latest story.

Alice clapped her hands in delight. "Diamond earrings! Nice touch, Edward."

He grinned. "I was going to use a dried pea, like the original story. But how would the queen explain the presence of a pea? I thought the earring made more sense."

"Very well done," Carlisle praised his son.

"Thanks," Edward said. "But, Mom, no. Really, you are far too kind. You're going to make me blush." Renesmee giggled. I supposed Edward considered Esme's unspoken appreciation of his talent to be over the top.

"I'm entitled to my opinion," she said, unperturbed by his request.

"Absolutely," Rosalie agreed. "And I'm entitled to mine. Edward, I have to say that this story…" Her expression solemn, she paused to keep us in suspense, although Edward began chuckling, obviously aware of what she was about to say. "… is the best one yet," she concluded.

"Really?" Emmett asked. "I thought you liked Sleeping Beauty best, because the vampire saw something about the human that made him want to change her when she was nearly gone, and they lived happily ever after."

"Yes," Carlisle nodded. "I love the new story, but Sleeping Beauty is my favorite for that reason." He lifted Esme's hand to his lips and kissed it.

"It was my favorite," Rosalie acknowledged. "But I like how Caroline defied expectations. In my human days, girls like me had to conform to very rigid rules. Caroline was able to fulfill her role by being a good hostess and skilled at making lace, but she was so much more besides. And Malcolm loved everything about her."

"Well, you know my favorite is always going to be Goldeneyes," Emmett said. "I never get tired of hunting grizzlies, and I never get tired of hearing that story, and I never get tired of—"

"Emmett!" Edward interrupted sharply.

"What?" Emmett looked around innocently, as everyone laughed. "I was just going to say, I never get tired of evenings with my family." He smiled broadly. Edward rolled his eyes at his brother's disingenuous words.

Jasper spoke up. "Alice and I are both partial to the Shoemaker story, but for different reasons."

"She likes it for the shoes," I guessed.

"Of course!" Alice exclaimed. "Making things is good, but making things _beautiful_ is even better. Valerie's flair for design was a very important element of Martin's success."

"I like it because Thomas and Valerie turned away from life in a vampire army. Despite that experience, they respected humans. They really appreciated Martin's generous and kind nature," Jasper said.

"Do you have a favorite, Esme?" Carlisle asked his wife.

"Cinderella," she replied. "Because that was the first story Edward wrote for Renesmee. And because Cinderella's early life was not easy, first with her sisters and then with the vampire who changed her, but she always tried to make the best of her situation, and she finally found love."

"What about you, Jacob?" I asked my best friend.

"I'm guessing _your_ favorite is Little Red Riding Hood," Rosalie said disdainfully.

"Don't think too hard. You might strain yourself," Jake cautioned her.

"Jake!" I scolded him.

"What?" he asked innocently. "I'm expressing concern."

"Let's step outside and you can express your concern to me," Emmett said, grinning.

"You're getting away from the topic," I admonished them. "_Is_ that your favorite story?"

Jake still hesitated, and Edward chuckled. "Go ahead," he told Jacob. "You can say it."

"Well, it's not a bad story at all," Jacob began.

"_Thanks_!" Edward spoke with exaggerated enthusiasm.

"It's just, I think the pack might have saved Scarlett's grandmother. Why were they goofing off in the woods when a dangerous bloodsucker was on the loose?"

"Jacob, if the wolves had protected the grandmother, then there wouldn't be a story," Edward said patiently. "But you're welcome to write your own version of that or any other tale. You can make the wolves as heroic and the _bloodsuckers_ as evil as you like."

"Oh, I'll leave that to you," Jacob said airily. "You need a little project like this to give you something to do at night." Emmett snorted, but Jacob kept speaking. "While _normal_ people are sleeping. Besides, I wouldn't know how to begin to—" He stopped abruptly. His mouth hung open as he stared into space.

"Got an idea?" Edward asked cheerfully. He shook his head. "No, I thought about that one, but I didn't see how to work out the ending. Oh! That one has promise. You could probably manage to cobble something together based on that. But I've never heard of a vampire called Brittany. You might want to come up with a different name."

Scowling, Jacob rose to his feet. "I'm out of here," he announced. "I don't get how anyone in this family can do anything original or creative with the constant commentary from Mr. Critical here. He's worse than Simon Cowell!" He bounded out of the house, calling, "Bye, everyone! Catch you later, Nessie, OK?"

I sighed. "Edward, you could have been nicer."

"Worse than Simon Cowell!" Edward repeated mournfully. "That wounds me." Everyone laughed at his tragic act.

"Bella, you didn't say which is your favorite," Esme said, in a transparent bid to change the subject and keep the peace. "Sleeping Beauty? Because the vampire rescues and turns the human girl?"

I shook my head. Edward frowned. "I thought you liked that one, love," he said.

"I do," I assured him. "But my favorite is always the _next_ one. The one you haven't written yet."

--------

Only a few days later, Jacob approached me with uncharacteristic diffidence. "Bella, I did make up a story for Nessie."

"You did? That's so great! Can you tell it tonight?"

"Oh, no, it doesn't have to be like that. I'll just tell it to her some afternoon."

"Stories and bedtime go together," I said firmly. "Renesmee will be thrilled to hear what you wrote for her." He didn't meet my gaze. "Edward and I can take off if you don't want an audience," I offered. "We can go hunting or hang out at the house."

He blew out a long breath. "You'll hear it sooner or later, right? You two should be there. She'd want that. I don't mind."

"Are you worried about Edward criticizing your story? He won't. He was just teasing you before. I'll tell him—"

"Bells," Jacob interrupted. "Don't worry about me. Really. You should worry that after hearing my story, Edward will be so awestruck that he'll never be able to write again."

"I'll take my chances," Edward said. We hadn't noticed his approach while we were talking. I rolled my eyes.

"You know what I worry about?" I asked them.

"What, love?"

"That one day I'll be so fed up with the way the two of you compete that I'll tear my hair out. And then what will I do? It won't grow back!"

"I'm sorry, love," Edward said contritely. "No hard feelings, right, Jacob?"

"Sure, sure," Jake replied. "We're good."

"Jacob's like a brother to me," Edward continued.

"I guess," Jacob said. "If I had a brother who was smaller, weaker and not nearly as cool."

I sighed and left them to it.

------

Glancing around at our eager expressions, Jacob launched into his story. "Once upon a time, there were three bad vampires. Their names were James, Laurent and Victoria."

Renesmee's mouth fell open. "Those were the vampires who hunted Mommy!"

"Yes, they were very bad," he said.

"But you saved her!" Renesmee continued.

"Well, the pack," Jacob began to correct her. But my daughter shook her head, sending her bronze curls bouncing.

"No," she said emphatically. "Daddy saved her from James, and you saved her from Laurent and then you worked together to save her from Victoria."

"That's right," I agreed. "Ever since I came to Forks, Daddy and Jacob always took care of me, and the rest of the family and the pack helped, and now we are all taking care of _you_."

Jake nodded solemnly. "No bad vampires will ever hurt you. Either of you."

"Absolutely not," Edward chimed in.

"I don't really need you two to protect me anymore," I reminded them.

"Of course not, love," Edward said smoothly. But I saw the look the two of them exchanged. Their expressions were as clear to me as Renesmee's heartbeat: _That's what _she_ thinks. But we're not dropping our guard._ At least they weren't bickering.

"Did you have a story to tell us, Jacob?" I asked dryly.

Jacob grinned. "These three parasites roamed all over, hunting innocent men, women and even children everywhere they went. They were stronger and faster than any humans, and they thought because they were a gang of three, no other vampires could ever stop them from doing anything they wanted. One day they came to a big forest and decided to stay a while. James chose a nice tree for his home base. He would climb up and sit in the branches to watch the stars at night and the clouds going by during the day. Laurent wanted a nicer place where he could keep some books to read. He was able to build a little wooden house very quickly. He could store his library there and it would stay nice and dry, and he could sit inside and read when it was raining. Because it rained a lot."

Renesmee giggled, and Edward turned to Jake in shock.

"What?" My best friend and I questioned him in unison, as Renesmee cried, "I'm sorry! I wasn't s'posed to tell!"

"It's my fault," Jake said quickly. "If she's thinking what I think she's thinking, all my fault. But we had a blast, and there was no harm done."

"I'm waiting," I announced pleasantly.

Edward took a deep breath, but Jake spoke first. "Let me," he requested. Edward gestured for him to proceed. "Remember last week when it was pouring rain and I took Nessie to Claire's house for a tea party with Claire and Quil? Well, we did that. But then… we went outside and had a mud fight. We gave the girls old clothes to wear, and Claire's mom bathed them afterwards," he continued in a defensive tone. "And she has great memories, doesn't she?" he asked, looking to Edward.

Renesmee nodded energetically. "We had fun," she proclaimed, showing me a scene of gleeful screams and indescribable filth.

Edward chuckled. "I can't argue with success. But please, no secrets." He fixed our friend with a stern gaze until Jacob nodded.

"I'm sorry," he said. "We didn't plan it, but I should have told you afterwards. I want you to trust me."

"We do," Edward said seriously. "But right now, my little girl is waiting for her story."

"And so am I!" I added.

"And so am I," Edward echoed. Jacob grinned and picked up the tale.

"James had his tree. Laurent built a wooden house. But Victoria wanted something even fancier. She liked to take things from the humans she killed. She'd take their clothes and their jewelry. She built a sturdy stone house to protect these things, and she had a big mirror so she could try on different outfits and see how she looked.

"The three of them felt very satisfied with their new base. They each had a nice home that suited their needs, and being ruthless bloodsuckers, they roamed to nearby cities to hunt humans. But there was something they didn't know. The forest that seemed like such a nice place to stay for a while was close to Quileute land. Because vampires were in the area, a few of the young people in the tribe began to change into wolves. At first they were on the wild side, but soon they learned to work as a pack and to change their shape as needed. They could sense that their enemies were nearby. One evening they were ready to face the bad vampires and defeat them.

"They had no trouble following the reeking scent of bloodsucker towards the tree where James was relaxing and gazing at the moon. But although they tried to move quietly, James noticed something when they got close to him."

"Perhaps the foul stench?" Edward suggested.

"No comments, please," Jacob requested loftily. "James looked up and saw three huge, powerful animals snarling with menace. He was struck with fear and raced to Laurent's house at top speed."

"I think it was the revolting smell that drove him off," Edward remarked.

"Edward, stop!" I chided him.

He grinned. "I couldn't resist. I'll be good," he promised. Jacob ignored him.

"The pack surrounded the house and howled. James and Laurent had never seen anything like the giant wolves. But they were very smug and superior, and they thought the house would keep their adversaries out. Boy, were they wrong! The pack threw their bodies against the door and crashed into the walls, and the house quickly collapsed. But as soon as the structure began giving way, and the wolves were caught for a moment among the broken beams, James and Laurent ran away to Victoria's house.

"The wolves were just behind, nipping at their heels as they fled in terror. James and Laurent barely made it to Victoria's house. They slammed the door behind them and heaved sighs of relief, because they thought her strong stone house would definitely stand against their attackers.

"But the wolves were not just big and powerful. They were also very smart. One of them changed to a human shape to gather hunks of wood and set them on fire. They threw these burning brands in through the windows. Well, you know fire is one of the only things that can hurt vampires. James, Laurent and Victoria tried to put out the flames, but the pack just kept lobbing in more flaming logs.

"The three parasites couldn't avoid the fight any longer. They ran out of the house, expecting that they could quickly kill the wolves like they would an ordinary animal. But the wolves were much larger and stronger than anything they had ever encountered. The pack jumped on them and ripped them all to pieces. When they had destroyed the bad vampires, they burned every last bit, so that those bloodsuckers could never hurt anyone again. Then they carefully put out the fire. And after that they kept watch, so that all the humans would be safe."

"Yay!" Renesmee cheered the story's happy ending.

"You liked it?" Jacob asked her.

"I didn't like it," she told him solemnly. Then a huge grin broke over her face. "I loved it!"

"Me too, Jake," I said. We both turned towards Edward.

"Well done," he said, smiling. "I guess you've learned something from reading my stories so many times."

"Edward!" I protested.

"Oh, he knows I'm just teasing," my husband said unrepentantly. "It really was a good story."

"And I have read Edward's stories loads of times," Jacob said. "It would be worse to admit I hadn't learned anything."

"There's just one problem," Edward said. "Your story was too exciting. She won't be able to fall asleep after that."

Renesmee spoke up eagerly. "Yes, I will, Daddy! If you sing a song for me, please?"

"Of course, sweetheart."

"Thank you, Daddy. Thank you for the story, Jacob." They smiled fondly at her, each handsome face glowing with satisfaction. I took in the harmonious scene, hardly daring to breathe. For once they were together without vying for our love and attention. They were both content with her appreciation. My daughter was a genius.

* * *

_Author's Note: Thank you for reading! Please consider leaving a review. It means so much to me._


	8. Beauty and the Beast

If I were being honest with myself, I had to admit Renesmee was spoiled. It was impossible to keep her completely grounded when our large extended family had unlimited time and resources to lavish on our little darling. Edward and I tried to maintain discipline at home, but we found it more effective to give choices than to give orders. Her bedtime routine was craftily constructed to present the illusion she was in control while she did our bidding.

"Do you want to brush teeth first or get dressed for bed?" She gave me her answer with a touch of her hand and skipped off to the bathroom.

"Do you want your green pajamas or the blue ones?" This decision required more thought.

"Blue like yours," she announced finally. I smiled as I handed her the chosen garment. Little did she know how briefly we'd be matching!

"Do you want your bear or bunny?" Edward asked.

"Both, Daddy! Please?"

"Very well. Now, do you want an old story or a new one?"

A huge smile broke over her adorable face. "You have a new story for me?"

"Really, Edward?" My smile was probably just as wide. He hadn't told me his latest customized fairytale was ready to share.

He grinned at both of us and took his place in the rocking chair as we got comfortable on the bed, eager for the enchantment to begin.

"Once upon a time," he began as always, "there was a baby who had no mother or father. A man passing through the village had conducted a brief romance with a pretty girl and left her with a casual farewell, never knowing that his son was on the way. She died during the birth, because in those days the healers were not as wise as they are now. Her father was devastated by the death of his only child and refused to accept the infant whom he unjustly blamed for his loss. So the baby had no family at all. A kind woman, who had been a friend to his mother, took him into her home. She gave him the name his mother had chosen, Amos."

I couldn't guess what traditional tale had inspired him. I closed my eyes and let his captivating voice wash over me as the story unfolded.

"Unfortunately, before he was even one year old, his foster mother suddenly took ill. For five days and nights she screamed from the crushing pain in her skull until on the sixth day she fell quiet and breathed no more. Well, after that, you can imagine that the entire tribe was extremely wary of the boy. They believed he brought bad luck. The chief insisted they could not simply abandon a child of the tribe, and therefore they reluctantly sheltered and fed him as the years went by and he grew up. They passed him from household to household, and everyone kept a distance from him. Parents watched their children closely to be sure that none befriended the boy. In fact, the other children taunted him. He was an outcast in his own village."

"Poor Amos," Renesmee mourned.

"Naturally," Edward continued, "Amos was very unhappy. He saw that he had no place in the families around him, even the ones he lived with. Often he asked himself why nobody wanted to be close to him, and each time he concluded that there was something seriously wrong with him. He felt responsible for the absence of his father, the death of his two mothers and the rejection by those who might have embraced and supported him. He struggled with rage, bitterness, despair and desolation, occasionally relieved by hope that perhaps his lot in life would someday improve.

"One morning when Amos awoke, he felt very strange, anxious and hot. The others in the home in which he was staying offered him no care or comfort. They left him lying on his pallet, sweaty and frightened. He thought about how everyone wished he didn't exist, and as the anger and rejection swept through him, he began shaking. He stumbled outside, desperate for fresh air. But the terrible shaking and hot fury only increased until his body flew apart into a new shape. He had changed into a huge wolf. Seeing his new form and feeling his powerful instinct to bite and attack, everything finally made sense to him. He was a wild beast. He had carried this monster inside him, and that was why people had always stayed away from him. Howling, he ran into the forest.

"In the form of a wolf, Amos roamed for many months and many, many miles. He ran tirelessly through the woods. He hunted deer and rabbits and wild turkeys. He drank from streams and ponds. He enjoyed his strength and speed and freedom. He might have been happy as a wolf, happier than he had been as a human, except he was lonely. Even though he had no family and no connections, he had been able to listen in to the idle chat, the friendly jokes, the news of distant tribes. He even missed overhearing the quarrels. Now no human voice entered his ears from one season to the next, but neither did he ever encounter another of his own kind.

Renesmee was aghast at the thought of Amos's isolation. "A wolf without a pack!" she exclaimed.

Edward nodded. "Wolves are social animals," he said. "It is very hard for one of them to be on his own."

She nodded emphatically and spoke very seriously. "Wolves like to run together and hunt together and play together and eat together. They don't like to be alone."

"Jacob went away by himself for a few months once," I pointed out.

"But he wasn't really alone like Amos. Jacob could always come back to his friends," Renesmee argued.

"And he did come back, when Mommy and I got married," Edward said, smiling at me. It was strange to recall Jacob's extremely negative attitude on that occasion. So much had changed for all of us; it was literally a lifetime ago.

"Did Amos go back?"

Edward shook his head. "One day Amos detected a new, sickly sweet scent. It burned his nose and made his fur stand up. He didn't like the smell at all, and he knew he had to track it and destroy the source. He followed the trail to a campfire burning in a little clearing, where a vampire was about to bite a man and drink his blood. Amos leapt on the vampire. The vampire was distracted because he was about to feed, and he was taken by surprise. Amos was able to cripple him, but still the vampire fought back viciously. Witnessing the fierce battle between these two creatures, the man was paralyzed with terror. He tried to move away but the vampire flung Amos from him with such force that Amos crashed into the man and the man's shoulder was dislocated. Now the man's screams filled the air along with the snarls and hissing from the two combatants. Amos was determined more than ever to protect the human, and he succeeded in ripping the vampire to pieces. He and the man were both startled to see the scattered parts of the vampire's body move and try to reunite, and instinctively, they threw the pieces in the fire. Amos picked up pieces with his jaws and the man helped with his good arm until the vampire was gone for good.

"Then the man realized that he was in the company of a gigantic wolf whom he had just seen kill. 'Don't hurt me!' he pleaded.

"Amos whimpered and licked the man and nuzzled him to show that he meant him no harm. But the man was confused by the darkness and by his fear and pain. Amos was not sure what to do. The man was in need, but Amos could do nothing for him. He tried to drag the cooking pot to the stream and bring back water, but most of it spilled on the way back. He couldn't see how to help the man, but he couldn't walk away and leave him. All he could do was remain nearby.

"After they had passed two days and three nights in this way, a sound attracted Amos's attention. Another human was coming. Amos barked to lead the person to the injured man, who by now was very weak. When the person was close, Amos retreated a few steps so as not to alarm the newcomer.

"'Father!' The human cried out as she rushed to the man's side. 'What has happened? Please be alive! Please speak to me!'

"'Laura?' the man murmured. 'Is it you?'

"'Yes, father,' she assured him. 'When you didn't return I came to look for you. You are only half a day's journey from home. But you are hurt! Can you walk?'

"'Laura, no!' he cried weakly. 'You shouldn't be here. There's a monster, a dangerous monster.'

"Frightened, Laura looked around to see what her father meant. Amos tried to back away out of sight, but the movement attracted Laura's attention. She screamed when she caught sight of him. 'You vicious beast!' she shrieked. Amos ran off, but he still could hear her voice as she demanded, 'What have you done to my father?'

"Amos was very disturbed by this episode. He was proud of his actions in destroying the vampire and rescuing Laura's father, but he was troubled by the possibility that the man had not recovered and by Laura's unfair accusation."

"Maybe he could follow to where they lived," Renesmee suggested.

"Good idea," Edward praised her. "Amos did think about tracking them to their home to try to pick up news of them, but he was afraid to go near any human settlement for fear of being attacked. Still, he remained in the vicinity of the man's campfire for a few weeks, uncertain what to do.

"One evening he noticed Laura's scent on the breeze. Cautiously he approached, and with his keen senses, he could see that she had built a new fire in the little clearing. 'Wolf?' she called hesitantly. Slowly he moved closer, stopping some distance away so he wouldn't scare her. She was nervous. He could smell the fear in her blood. She spoke again. 'I don't know if you can understand me but I have come….' Her voice trailed off. Amos gave a short bark. 'Do you understand?' she asked eagerly. He barked again and nodded his head. She took a deep breath and continued. 'I must thank you. My father is better now. He told me that a monster who looked like a man, who had red eyes and a cold, strong body, was menacing him. Just as this cold man said he would kill my father and relish his blood, a huge wolf leapt onto them and killed the cold one. My father said that it is our duty and our pleasure to do anything we can for you. He must continue to provide for our family, my mother and my little brothers and sisters. So I have come to show our gratitude.'

"To Amos, Laura was beautiful. She was perfect. She was what had been missing, what he had ached for the lack of his entire life. But even though his whole being rejoiced at the sight of her, he rejected her words and his feelings. He was a wild beast and a bringer of misfortune. He feared that if she was with him, his bad luck would fall onto her as well. He growled and shook his head, trying to convey that she should stay away and he didn't need anything. His behavior made her uncomfortable, but she was determined. 'You saved my father,' she declared, and she proceeded to set up camp.

"Once again Amos was not sure what to do. He felt it was wrong for Laura to be there, but he couldn't stay away from her. He brought her a pheasant that he had killed and then immediately retreated into the forest to hunt and eat on his own. Seeing that she cooked and ate the bird, he brought her a small rabbit the next day. Before he could run off again, she thanked him and asked him to stay. She chatted about her family as she prepared her meal. To his surprise, she offered him some of the food. Although he had eaten as a wolf for many months, he had never grown fully accustomed to it. She seemed very pleased that he liked the roasted meat. 'Here is something I can do,' she said happily. 'You will hunt, and I will cook for us.'

Renesmee sent images of meals she'd eaten flashing through my mind. She didn't share Amos's preference for cooked food.

"They went on in this manner for several weeks. Amos enjoyed lounging by the fire, observing Laura at work and listening to her talk about anything and everything. She remained nervous when he came near her, and he was careful to move very slowly and to keep his distance. But she seemed content with the arrangement. She always watched him closely while he ate the meals she cooked, and every day she thanked him again for saving her father, for bringing her the meat and for allowing her to cook for him.

"One windy day he had ranged far, hunting down a young deer, and as he returned with his kill, he caught the sound of her voice in the swirling currents of air. She was screaming! He dropped the deer and raced to the clearing. She was brandishing a stick at a hungry coyote, who was crouched and growling at her. Amos snarled fiercely and the coyote broke its concentration on Laura. Seeing a large, fearsome, angry predator, the coyote turned tail and fled. Laura sank to the ground, shaking. 'Thank you!' she said fervently. 'I was so scared. I guess I shouldn't have been. But I didn't know where you were. I wasn't sure you would hear me. I know you won't let anything hurt me.' Her smile of relief and gratitude was the most glorious sight Amos had ever seen. He was thrilled by her confidence in him. For the first time, he felt that he wasn't just an obligation to her, that she was actually glad to see him.

"Amos was happier than he had ever been in his life. Laura was very comfortable in his presence now and entertained him with stories about her childhood, her family and her village. In his previous life, he had merely been tolerated. Now, even though he was not even human, she seemed to enjoy his company. In fact, Laura was beginning to feel very attached to Amos. She had grown accustomed to his unusual size and didn't find him frightening at all. He was always very gentle, and she could tell that he craved affection. One day she decided to groom his coat. She approached him with a brush and began to remove twigs and slowly transform his matted coat to glossy smoothness. Amos found the sensation very relaxing. But abruptly Laura froze. Amos scrambled to his feet, thinking there was some threat. But everything felt different. He had changed back into a man.

"Finding herself suddenly in close proximity to a naked stranger, Laura screamed and turned away. Amos stared at her for a moment and then ran into the woods, his thoughts racing as fast as his body. Had he been under an enchantment that had now ended? Had his luck changed? Had the curse lifted? His hope was followed immediately by bleak despair. He had been cursed since before he was born. His father had not cared about his mother, he had killed both women who had briefly been mothers to him, he had been rejected by his tribe and he had grown into a beast. As his mind filled with all these bitter, dark memories, he howled. Once more he had become a wolf.

"In his familiar animal body, he returned to the clearing, where Laura was waiting for him. She was not even sure that what happened was real. 'Can you change again?' she asked. 'And speak to me?' she added hopefully. Eagerly she resumed grooming him, and under the rhythmic strokes of the brush, his human form was restored again. She had a blanket ready for him to cover himself with. 'My wolf friend!' she greeted him in wonderment. 'You have become a man?'

"'Laura,' he said, his tongue clumsy and his voice hoarse from lack of use for human speech.

"'Yes!' she exclaimed. 'You know my name!'

"'Laura,' he repeated. 'You saved me.'

"'What happened?' she asked. 'Do you remember? Can you tell me? Do you have a name?'

"'My name is Amos,' he began. She smiled and reached out to squeeze his hand. She listened with fascination as he shared his story. As he recounted the difficult moments of his unloved childhood, he began to shake. The old hurt and anger swept over him. Seeing how tense he was, Laura backed away and watched in concern as he exploded into his wolf shape. But now they both understood what triggered the transformation. This time he didn't let her approach him. Instead, he tried to calm himself, thinking of her voice in the firelight, her small hands caressing his coat. It worked. He became a man again.

"Amos had been in love with Laura from the first day she had sought him out to thank him. Laura had already grown to care deeply for the ferocious beast who was so gentle to her. They talked and talked, overjoyed to share all the thoughts and feelings they had experienced in their time together, which they had not been able to express before. Amos learned to control his state, until he was able to change back and forth, from wolf to man, at will. As Laura came to know Amos as a human, she fell in love. Amos was amazed when he realized that Laura didn't blame him for all the bad things that had happened in his early life. Finally he knew what it was to love and be loved. Laura and Amos went to live with her people. They married and became the parents of many children, whom they loved and taught together."

"Oh, Daddy!" Renesmee was even more breathtaking when she smiled. Just like her father. "I love that story. I am so glad Amos had a happy ending. Do you think something like that could really happen?"

"Of course!" I said in surprise. "Maybe it was a little exaggerated, but from what Jacob has told me, the story is very much what it is like to turn into a wolf."

"I know that, Mommy," my little girl said, with a hint of impatience. "I mean, can bad luck turn out to be good luck?"

"Absolutely," Edward responded immediately. "Things that seem bad at first can turn out to be the best thing that ever happened. High school, for example. It was extremely tedious. I really couldn't stand it. But if I hadn't forced myself to go through the motions, where would any of us be today?"

"High school," I scoffed. "What about Forks? Rainy. Cold. Cloudy. Tiny. Isolated. I never wanted to live here. I didn't even want to visit here! What was I thinking? Forks is the most beautiful, magical, wonderful place on earth."

"I guess you're right," Renesmee agreed happily. "I can think of something that I thought was bad but in the end it was good."

I saw Edward's mouth tighten and his hands clench. Apparently, he did not like what he was seeing in her mind. "What, sweetie?" I asked her.

"Rosalie was going to take her shopping," Edward answered for her in a flat tone. "Alice called to let them know the sun would be shining there, and Renesmee was disappointed. But that meant that she was home when Jacob wanted to take her to the beach."

"We knew about that," I reminded him, still not understanding his reaction.

"Yes, but I didn't know how far out they went," he said unhappily.

"Daddy, it was fun to swim!"

"Jacob wouldn't let anything happen to her," I asserted.

"Like Amos!" Renesmee chimed in. "Laura said he wouldn't let anything hurt her."

Edward took a deep breath. And then another. Finally he spoke. "You're right," he said. "You know, Renesmee, I once knew a girl who was always getting into dangerous situations, but Jacob protected her and did everything he could to get her out of them."

"Who was it?" our daughter demanded. Clearly, she did not like the idea of Jacob having another favorite.

"Your mother," he smiled. _Are you really okay with it? _I showed him my question, and as he nodded in response, I could see him relax. I smiled back.

"I knew a boy who wanted to do everything himself, but he learned how to trust other people to make good decisions."

"Who, Mommy?" Renesmee was confused.

"Your father." His golden eyes sparkled with love.

"And I know a little girl…," he said, pausing dramatically. "Who should go to sleep!"

Renesmee giggled as we kissed her goodnight and closed her door behind us. Sure enough, I wasn't wearing the blue nightgown for long.

* * *

_Author's Note: I had thought about using Beauty and the Beast for a while, but I felt the story was pretty close to Edward and Bella's own story and I wasn't sure how to transfer the story into the Twilight world and make it fresh. Then edward-bella-harry-ginny wrote Bella and the Haunted Wood, which is a delightful Twilight re-telling of Beauty and the Beast. I enjoyed the story very much (you can find it in my favorites!), but it did seem to rule out writing Beauty and the Beast for Bedtime Stories, since I didn't want to write a weak imitation of her charming tale. _Unless_ my Beauty and the Beast was completely different! I guess I like a challenge, because the idea for this version soon came to me. Please let me know if you like it! Reviews put a bounce in my step, a song in my heart and a smile on my face._


	9. Steadfast Tin Soldier

_Author's Note: __Back in May when a reviewer (yellowishorange) requested that Edward and I retell The Steadfast Tin Soldier, I thought it was impossible. The tin soldier is an inanimate object. How could we translate that to the world of Twilight? But eventually, inspiration struck. The original story, by Hans Christian Andersen, is not a typical fairytale and neither is our version._

* * *

Edward was soaking up the sun, completely relaxed with his eyes closed. Propped up on my elbow, I gazed down at him, entranced by the shimmering surface of his body in the light. So beautiful. So desirable.

"Edward?"

"Yes, love?" His silken voice was slower and dreamier than usual.

"Do we have time for more?"

His eyes popped open. "Really?"

"Yes, really!" I smiled at him. "Look at you." I ran my hand over his chest. "How am I supposed to resist that? I'm not made of stone, you know."

"Not made of stone?" he echoed, smirking. "Let me check." By the time that he'd investigated the matter thoroughly and confirmed that my reactions were quite (for lack of a better word) _human_, the sun had set. "I think we should head back," he murmured against my skin, his voice throaty.

"Really?" I pouted.

"Yes, really," he sighed. "Renesmee expects us to be there at bedtime."

"Bedtime?" I yelped, frantically scrambling for my clothes. "What time is it? Why didn't you say something sooner?"

"Must I always be the responsible one?" He paused while buttoning his shirt to raise an eyebrow at me.

"Evidently," I said airily. It was no use pretending. I had succumbed to his charms long ago. I was putty in his hands. Those hands…. If it weren't for our daughter and the occasional need to hunt, I'd never let him stop.

"Don't worry," he assured me. "We won't be terribly late, and she won't mind. I have a new story for her."

"A new story?" I was delighted, and I knew Renesmee would be too.

"Yes, and I wanted to talk to you about it, before you distracted me." He frowned slightly, pulling some leaves out of my hair.

"Well, now's your chance. While you have clothes on," I said pertly. He grinned, and he swung my hand in his as we made our way to the house.

"This story doesn't have a traditional happily-ever-after ending," he said. "The original doesn't, and my version doesn't either. Do you think that's okay?"

"How unhappy is it?" I asked apprehensively. "Romeo and Juliet? Hamlet?"

"I don't want to give the whole thing away, but there are dead bodies littering the stage, yes."

I considered for a moment. "I think it's fine. Sad, happy, silly, mysterious, it's all part of a balanced diet, right? The classic fairytales have a lot of disturbing elements. Snow White's stepmother ordering the huntsman to bring back her heart, for example."

"There's nothing as gruesome as that," he assured me.

"Well, I can't wait to hear it!"

* * *

Renesmee was tucked up in bed, and we were eager for the story to begin, but Edward had some opening remarks. "Renesmee, you know that Billy's legs don't work properly anymore." In response, she showed me a rapid series of images of Billy in his wheelchair. "And sometimes Carlisle has to amputate a limb, cut it off, if it's very badly injured or infected." She nodded. She loved paging through Carlisle's medical journals and texts with him, and she did have a tendency to pore over the photographs. Really, Edward had no grounds for concern that his story would be too dark for her. "Do you think there could be a vampire who was missing a leg?"

Her mouth fell open. "A vampire who couldn't run?" she said in consternation. "How could he hunt?" I was equally nonplussed. In my mind, _vampire_ was practically synonymous with _perfect_ and _extraordinary_ and _godlike_.

"Well, he made himself an artificial leg, and with it he could run but not very fast. He had to be clever when he went hunting animals for blood. He had to stalk his prey with stealth and cunning like humans do, and not count on being able to chase them down or fight."

Renesmee seemed fascinated by this vampire deficient in vampire abilities. I certainly was. I'd worried that my clumsiness would accompany me into immortality and I'd be terrible at running, jumping and pursuing wild animals. Not to mention other skills like walking and climbing stairs. But I'd always assumed that I would be able-bodied and remain so forever. In the charming, cozy bedroom with my brilliant and adorable daughter snuggled against me and my marvelous husband entertaining us, it was far too easy to take my good fortune for granted.

"But how did he get that way?" Renesmee demanded.

"He was in a bad fight, sweetheart. Another vampire tore his leg off, and she burned it up, so that it couldn't heal."

She pondered this scenario. "Why didn't she kill him all the way?"

"I don't know," Edward answered. "That's just how it happened. Maybe something happened to distract the other vampire, or she thought he was as good as dead without his leg."

Renesmee's face was full of concern. "Was he very sad to lose his leg?"

"He was at first. But he was injured long ago, and he was used to not having it. Do you want to hear his story?"

"Yes!"

He gave us a dazzling smile, and his rich, mellow voice took up the tale. "Once upon a time, there was a vampire named Lewis who had lost one of his legs in a fight. He lived a very solitary existence. He made himself an artificial leg from wood and metal, but still it was not easy for him to get around, and he did not roam far. He thought that surely he was the only vampire in the world who was not whole and perfect. He avoided other vampires, because they could so easily overpower him and hurt him if they wanted to. He avoided humans too. He didn't want to draw any attention to himself. He just wanted to live quietly on his own.

"But one day Lewis heard a strange sound. When he went closer to investigate, he saw a young woman seated in a wheelchair with another woman pushing her along the road. He had never seen such a thing before. He had hardly paid any attention to humans, since he seldom encountered any of them. He followed the two women, staying out of sight. He heard that their names were Anna and Melanie. He watched and realized that Anna was in the wheelchair because she could not walk. Suddenly, he realized that there were other people who were similar to him. He was very interested in Anna, and he had to try to learn more about her.

"Keeping a careful distance, Lewis tracked the women until Melanie pushed Anna in her chair up a ramp and into a little house that sat among tall old trees, in between the road and some train tracks. He lingered outside until he was sure that this was Anna's home. He was thrilled to know that she lived nearby and that he would easily be able to observe her without anyone noticing.

"Lewis went to the house every day to see Anna. He saw that despite her disability, Anna was usually cheerful. Melanie or another woman came to help Anna inside and outside her house. Anna spent a great deal of time at her desk reading and writing. At other times, usually in the evening, she played the flute. When Anna went for a walk with one of her friends and helpers, Lewis tried to follow in the shadows. When she went away in the car, he stayed behind. He didn't think he could run fast enough to keep up, and he expected she was going into town where it would be harder for him to remain hidden. Instead he went closer to her house to examine the bird feeder she kept full of seeds and to admire the pots of flowers and plants which he had watched her water. Lewis thought Anna was the loveliest thing he had ever seen. Watching her go about her daily life and listening to the beautiful music she played, he had fallen in love."

Renesmee snuggled into her pillows and sighed happily. "Daddy, could she walk again if Lewis bit her?"

"I don't know," he responded. "What do you think?"

"I think yes!"

"Venom can heal very bad injuries," he agreed. "But vampires usually choose extraordinary specimens of humanity to change, so I don't know if anyone's ever tried it. We should ask Carlisle for his opinion. Maybe it depends on why she needed the wheelchair. In any case, Lewis didn't want to make her into a vampire. He just wanted to be near her and see her every day.

"Anna didn't realize that anyone was watching her. She did notice that squirrels didn't come in the yard to eat the birdseed anymore, but she never dreamed it was the scent of a vampire that kept them away. Once, when the clouds suddenly parted and Lewis wasn't quite quick enough to dart into the shadows, Anna saw a blazing flash of light. She was puzzled, but she decided that the sun must have dazzled her eyes. She had no idea that she'd caught a glimpse of sparkling vampire skin.

"Well, things could have gone on this way for a very long time. Lewis had no intention of ever approaching Anna or speaking to her. He just wanted to watch her activities, so ordinary and yet so special because she was doing them. But one day as Lewis was perched high up in a tree, lost in gazing at Anna in her yard, a train came speeding along the tracks below. The rush of air made him lose his balance, and he fell on top of the rapidly moving freight cars. He was very startled and afraid. He didn't feel confident about jumping off. He could only hold on tight as the train carried him away. He was able to drop down when the train slowed at a junction, but by that time he had traveled quite a distance.

"This was a great calamity. He was in completely unfamiliar surroundings. He could follow the train tracks in the opposite direction, but it would take him forever to get back because he was not very spry. He wasn't sure what to do. He thought maybe it would be best to just find a suitable place to live in this new region and remain there. What do you think he decided?"

"I think he wanted to go back to Anna," Renesmee said sagely.

"That's right." Edward smiled. "He wanted to try to return to Anna and to his own territory. He noticed a delivery van that was heading in what he thought was the right direction. As he watched, the driver pulled over and stepped out of the vehicle to make a phone call. On the spur of the moment, Lewis decided to jump inside and see if the van would take him closer to his destination. With Lewis hidden in the back, the van drove for hours and hours without stopping. Finally the driver parked, and Lewis took the opportunity to hop out. He could hardly believe his eyes when he looked around. The van had taken him back to the town closest to Anna's house."

Renesmee put her hand on my cheek and showed me a picture of Lewis in the middle of a vast empty plain. Edward nodded at her.

"Yes, he could have ended up anywhere," he agreed. "That was very good luck. But Lewis was about to have some very bad luck too. You see, during the short time that he had been away, another vampire had arrived in the area and noticed Lewis's scent. This other vampire was curious and wanted to meet Lewis and challenge him. Lewis could tell that another of his kind was nearby. He was immediately afraid that Anna was in danger, and he followed the trail as quickly as he could. Sure enough, because he spent so much time near Anna's house, the other vampire had gone there to find him."

Renesmee's sweet face took on an adorable frown. "Then it was good luck that Lewis came back in time to save Anna," she pointed out.

"Ah, but did he save her?" Edward asked. "Lewis called the other vampire to leave Anna alone. The other vampire turned his attention from stalking Anna, and he smiled when he saw Lewis. He could tell that Lewis's leg was missing, and he thought it would be easy to eliminate him and then attack Anna at his leisure.

"'You won't be able to stop me,' the bad vampire laughed. Lewis didn't answer. He wasn't at all sure he could stop the bad vampire, but he had to try. 'I'll have you in pieces in no time,' his opponent taunted. 'It'll be so quick I'd better start a fire now, so it has time to catch.' The other vampire was so confident and fearless that he did set fire to some dry leaves and branches on the forest floor. Suddenly Lewis knew what to do. He tried to avoid the other vampire's lunges and keep his distance. He knew he wouldn't be able to evade him for long, because his opponent was faster and more agile. But all the while the fire was blazing up. The other vampire tried to jump on him, and Lewis saw his chance. He grabbed the bad vampire and dragged him into the fire. The other vampire tried to break free, but Lewis held on tight while the flames destroyed them both."

"Oh no," Renesmee moaned quietly.

"That was the end of Lewis. His body burned to ash, and the wood of his artificial leg burned to ash, but the fire wasn't hot enough to vaporize the metal in his artificial leg. The metal just melted.

"Anna never realized what a close call she had. But she noticed the smoke wafting from the dying fire, and she went to check that it was under control. In the warm ashes she saw a lump of metal that had melted into the shape of a heart. She could smell a sweet fragrance hanging in the air. She waited until all the heat from the fire had gone and the metal was cool. She took the metal heart and put it in the window in her kitchen, where she could see it glinting in the light while she ate her meals. She decided to plant some roses in the place where the fire had been. The plants flourished, and the roses always smelled especially sweet."

"That's sad," Renesmee said. "But I liked it," she added quickly. "It's nice to feel sad from a story."

"I know just what you mean," I told her, thinking about all the tears I'd once shed over stories of tragedy.

"Do you think we could plant some roses?" she asked sleepily.

"That's a great idea," Edward acknowledged. "Let's talk to Esme in the morning. I bet she'll want to help you."

* * *

"What did you think?" Edward asked me, after we had dispensed goodnight kisses and left Renesmee to her dreams. "Was the ending too unhappy?"

"No," I assured him. "It was really sweet. I loved it."

"In the original story both of them go into the fire," he said. "But I couldn't do that to Anna."

I giggled at his concern for his fictional creation. "So if the original fairytale is like Romeo and Juliet, your version is like West Side Story."

His golden eyes sparkled with delight, and his mouth curved into my favorite crooked smile. "You're comparing me to Bernstein and Sondheim? Apparently I only copy from the best."

I put my arms around him. His scent and the feel of his body against mine made me tingle all over. "You _are_ the best."

"The best what?" he teased.

He began to kiss my neck as I considered how to reply. "Storyteller," I declared.

"Thank you, love. But I confess I was hoping for a different answer." His mouth on my skin was making it hard for me to think.

"Father," I offered, somewhat breathlessly.

"It means so much to me that you think so," he said warmly. "But, no." He shook his head with a sorrowful expression. "That wasn't it either."

"Lover," I whispered.

"Now you're talking," he said, pulling me closer. "But I don't want to rest on my laurels. I want to earn them."

It took rather a long time to ascertain whether he deserved my praise. But I had to give him every opportunity to prove himself. It was only fair.

* * *

_Author's Note: In case it's not clear from context, Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim are the creators of West Side Story, a brilliant musical version of Romeo & Juliet that's set in New York City in the 1950s and that ends a bit differently._

_Please let me know if you enjoyed the story!_


	10. Jack and the Beanstalk

_Author's Note: __Thanks to Juliejuliejulie for her support and to Gleena for her expert knowledge of invisible ink & vampire vision and to edward-bella-harry-ginny for her assistance with musical instruments & Edward's clothing!_

* * *

"Once upon a time, there were two vampires who were brother and sister. Their names were Thomas and Valerie—"

"Thomas and Valerie!" Renesmee interrupted, her voice full of indignation.

"Yes, that's what I said," Edward confirmed calmly. He glanced at me, golden eyes sparkling with humor. _Do you have something up your sleeve? _I asked him silently. He winked.

"Daddy, you told me there would be a new story tonight," she accused.

"True."

She opened her mouth to retort and then closed it again. Her brow furrowed as she pondered the situation. Edward smiled, and I guessed he was reacting to her thoughts.

"Daddy?" she asked tentatively.

"Renesmee?" he responded in the same tone of voice.

"Is this a _new_ story about Thomas and Valerie?"

"Would you like that?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed, her face lighting up with joy. She touched my cheek and showed me her visions of the characters in the scenes Edward had invented and described for her: the siblings sewing shoes by candlelight in their nephew Martin's cottage, Thomas fastening their mother's bracelet on Valerie's wrist, Martin telling the story to his own children.

"Do you remember what happened to them at the end of the first story?" he asked.

"They went to another land," she said.

"That's right, sweetie. They went to another land, and there they lived in a house deep in the woods. The humans in that area did not know that a pair of vampires were their neighbors. If any hunters wandered near, Thomas and Valerie would scare them off by darting among the trees and creating the impression of a large beast just out of sight. They did not want humans to discover their home, but they would sometimes go to the nearest cottages and secretly watch the villagers go about their business.

"Valerie became especially fond of a woman who lived alone with her son Jack. The two of them had very little: only a tiny scrap of land and a small house, not much more than a shack. The woman had a limp and was never able to go far from their home, but Valerie could see that she was extremely hard-working. The garden and the family's few animals were very well-tended. Although young Jack had a tendency to forget the difference between a vegetable and a weed or whether he had completed his chores for the day, his mother was always cheerful and patient.

"One year, bad luck struck this little family in the form of a blight that affected the plants and a sickness that killed one of the cows. Jack's mother decided they had no choice but to sell their remaining cow, and she sent Jack to the market with the animal. Determined to do something to help them, Valerie intercepted him along the way. Jack was startled to see this pale, beautiful woman appear before him."

Renesmee smiled and drew in her breath with gleeful anticipation.

"'I'd like to buy your cow,' Valerie said.

"'Really?' he said. 'What can you give me for it?'

"Well, Thomas and Valerie had no money at the moment, as they seldom had need of it, but Valerie had devised a plan. She offered him a blank piece of paper.

"'What's this?' Jack asked curiously.

"'It's a magic map,' she told him. 'Leave it out in your garden in the sunshine for a day and see what happens.'

"Jack was very excited by this idea. He grabbed the paper, handed over the rope that was tied to the cow and dashed home as quickly as he could.

"'Look, mother!' he shouted as he drew near the cottage.

"'What is it, son?' his mother asked. 'Did you get a good price for the cow?'

"'Yes,' he said proudly. 'I traded the cow for this magic map.'

"Jack's mother was very distressed when she learned that their last item of value had been exchanged for a blank piece of paper. But she did not scold Jack. She knew he had done the best he could, and each other was all the two of them had now. While she prepared a meager meal, silently fretting over what was to become of them now, Jack placed the paper in the garden as Valerie had instructed him, carefully weighing down the corners with stones so it would not blow away.

"In the meantime, Valerie took the cow to a town some distance away. From the information she and her brother had picked up as they roamed all over the region, she knew that this breed of cow was common in the village nearest to Jack's home and much rarer elsewhere."

"How did she get the cow all that way?" I asked.

He grinned. "As you might imagine, she had to carry it for part of the way."

Renesmee giggled, and Edward and I had to laugh too when she showed us her image of Valerie with a large, placid-looking brown cow slung across her shoulders.

"Valerie was a very determined person, you know," Edward continued. "She explained to the buyers in this distant market that such cows gave plentiful rich milk. The customers were very eager to believe this beautiful girl with golden eyes. She bargained so well that she was able to get five times as much gold for the cow as Jack could ever have gotten in his own village.

"The next afternoon, Jack proudly showed his astonished mother what had become of the map. Valerie had written in invisible ink, and the sunlight had caused the writing to show."

"Invisible ink!" Renesmee exclaimed. "Is there really a such thing as invisible ink?"

"Yes, sweetie," Edward answered. "If you use the juice of a lemon, for example, the paper will look blank when it dries, and heat from the sun or a lamp will bring the writing out."

"I want to try it." Her eyes shone with eager delight. "I'll write a secret message to Jacob. Promise you won't tell him," she said imperiously, giving us a severe look.

"I promise," Edward assured her, as I nodded.

She grinned happily. "Now tell about Valerie's map," she requested. "I'm sorry for interrupting."

"Don't be sorry. You can always tell us or ask us anything you're thinking about. As for the paper Jack had left in the sunshine, it now showed a map to Thomas and Valerie's house in the woods. Below this map were these words: _Treasure is waiting for you here in exchange for your cow. But you must visit the house only at night._ Valerie specified when Jack should come, because at night, they were usually out hunting or enjoying the woods. That way she might be able to keep secret from Thomas that she was intervening with a human family."

Renesmee took a deep breath and wriggled with excitement under her covers.

"Jack's mother was concerned about the entire situation. She did not want her son to go to a strange house in the woods in the area where some sort of strange beast was rumored to live. But she had to admit that the map was clearly an invitation to Jack. She concluded that as he had given the cow for this map, he could try to use it. But they decided it was best for him to go during the day rather than at night.

"Jack had some trouble following the map and locating the house, but at length he stood before the unlocked door. Glancing at the map again, he read over the words and reminded himself that he was looking for treasure. He entered the house and began to explore. Now, Valerie had left the bag of gold on the table for him to find, but he walked right past that and began examining the books on the shelves in the living room. As he was flipping through one of the volumes that looked interesting, he heard voices as Thomas and Valerie returned home. Instinctively, Jack jumped into the closet to hide.

"'Valerie,' Thomas said immediately. 'What is going on here? I smell the blood of a human! In our house!'

"'Oh, dear,' Valerie said to herself. Apparently Jack had ignored her instructions to visit at night. Of course, she had noticed the scent too, and she had been hoping that Jack had come and gone while they were out, but it was obvious to both of them that he was right there. She told her brother that she'd explain later, and she dragged him back outside.

"As soon as they left, Jack crept out from the closet and ran home. His mother was relieved to see him safe and sound, but she was disappointed to see that the treasure he had acquired was a book. Still, they read the book together and enjoyed the illustrations. Meanwhile, Valerie explained to Thomas how she had tried to help Jack and his mother. Thomas said that maybe, since they had interrupted Jack, he would come back another time. And that is what happened. Without consulting his mother, Jack decided to return to the house.

"Once again, nobody was home when he arrived. He put the book back on the shelf where he had found it, and he began to look around. Once again, he paid no attention to the bag of gold that was still on the table waiting for him. Instead, he was drawn to a small black case in the next room. He opened it and found a flute inside, but Jack did not know what it was. He picked up the pieces and peered through them. He pressed the levers and poked his fingers into the holes. He was trying to fit the pieces together when, once again, he heard voices and leaped into the closet to hide.

"'I smell human blood again,' Thomas said to his sister.

"'So do I,' Valerie agreed. They saw that the bag of gold had not been touched, but all they could do was leave and hope for the best. As soon as the two vampires were gone, Jack raced home with the flute. His mother was surprised to learn that he'd visited the mysterious house again and brought back something different. She showed him how to assemble the flute, but neither of them could coax any pleasant sounds from it. Jack's mother advised him to leave well enough alone, but Jack was determined to use the map one more time.

"This time, things were different. Thomas and Valerie heard Jack coming. They slipped out of the house but stayed nearby to watch, keeping their fingers crossed that Jack would use better judgment on this visit. Jack was on his way to replace the flute in the living room where he had found it, when he saw a bag sitting on the table with a huge red tag attached to it. On this tag in large letters were the words _For Jack_. Jack's mouth fell open. He dropped the flute in its case and picked up the bag, marveling at the weight of the gold.

"'He found the money!' Valerie exclaimed with relief.

"'_Finally_," Thomas said. 'Now let's scare him off so he won't come back.' Thomas jumped through the window into the house. 'I smell delicious human blood!' he snarled, exposing his teeth. Jack was terrified. Clutching the bag of gold against his chest, he sprinted home.

"Jack's mother was astonished when he told her what happened. She was delighted to have the gold that was clearly intended for Jack, but she shuddered to think of his narrow escape from the bloodthirsty monster. Jack promised her that he would never go near the house again. Jack's mother invested the money wisely, and they prospered for the rest of their days."

"Thank you, Daddy. That was a funny story," Renesmee sighed. "I love Thomas and Valerie."

"Me too," I added.

"Do you think there could be another story about them?" she asked.

Edward's crooked smile held more enchantment than a compilation of fairytales. "You never know."

* * *

"I finally have a chance to answer your question, love," Edward said, taking me in his arms as we entered our room.

"What question?" I had no idea what he was talking about.

"Think back," he advised solemnly.

I'd asked about the cow, but he'd answered that. Then I realized what he meant. Laughing, I rapidly unbuttoned his shirt, and he held his arms so that when I pushed it off his shoulders, it fell to the floor. I ran my hands down along the silken skin of his arms. When I reached his hands, I caught them up and brought them to my mouth, kissing each one.

"I see that in fact you have nothing up your sleeve," I declared.

"I could still be concealing something," he said. "You'd better make sure." His low, velvet voice sent a shiver of excitement down my spine. The atmosphere suddenly felt charged with electricity. When I looked up at him, his scorching gaze made me feel hot all over. We were perfectly silent as I knelt to remove his shoes and socks. I unfastened his pants and slid the clothes off his body. He moved only to cooperate with my actions. I raked my eyes over his flawless, naked form. "Do I… pass inspection?" I was too dazed with desire to speak. I nodded, still staring at his marble perfection. "But there is something I'm hiding." We weren't even touching, but his slow, husky tone and the look in his molten gold eyes were causing my need for him to blaze out of control. "I have some tricks to show you." I couldn't take any more. I stepped forward to throw myself into his arms. I reached out towards the wall, but he grabbed my wrist as he crushed me against him. As I gasped with the pleasure of the contact, I heard his final words: "Leave the light on."

* * *

_Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed our story! Edward and I are working on another fairytale, but I can't say when it will be ready. Please consider sharing your thoughts on my story. Reviews mean so much to me! _


	11. Pied Piper

_Author's Note: Of course, the characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I appreciate the help I got from Juliejuliejulie and especially ebhg on this chapter. When ebhg put the idea of Jasper into my head, the whole thing just fell into place._

oooooooooooo

"Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!" Renesmee was in bed, but she was sitting up, bubbling over with excitement. Turning from my daughter's radiant expression to my husband's angelic features, I saw his contented smile quickly replaced with surprise and concern.

"What is it?" I asked with some anxiety.

Edward pressed his lips together. "_She_ wants to tell _us_ a story tonight," he explained. I didn't understand the disapproval in his voice.

"She made up a story?" I glanced at Renesmee. She was watching us intently.

"A story that Jasper told her earlier," he clarified.

"I'd love to hear a story!" I reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. "What's wrong?" I asked him.

"I'm not sure if this story is really appropriate. And the way he modified it!" Edward looked apprehensive.

"It can't be that bad," I said, as Renesmee showed me a picture of her uncle tinged with concern. She didn't want to get him into trouble. "Don't worry," I reassured her. "I think Alice would see if anything went badly for Jasper." I turned my attention to Edward, gazing into his warm amber eyes. "Edward, I think we've talked about this," I said gently. "We all know you'd prefer to control everything in Renesmee's world, but she's lucky to have so many people who love her. I want to hear Renesmee share the story."

He took a deep breath, and the tightness around his eyes relaxed. His clear, adoring gaze sent a sweet thrill through me. "I do too, love. You're right." He looked at Renesmee's expectant face. "I wouldn't have chosen this story, but I am really excited to hear you tell it, sweetie." She raised one perfect little eyebrow. "Yes, really," he said, dazzling us with his smile. "We're ready."

"Once upon a time," she said very deliberately, clearly relishing her new role of storyteller. She paused to take in our rapt expressions. "There was a town that was overrun with rats." When she pressed her hand to my cheek, I gasped. She had shown me countless images, still pictures and memories full of sound and scent and movement, but this vision was different. It was wholly invented. I saw a village of irregular stone cottages with dilapidated thatched roofs, and a modest church presiding over a small plaza with a well in the center. Bands of rats ran through the dusty streets in broad daylight. They clawed open sacks of grain and devoured the contents. One large, brown, beady-eyed animal perched on the edge of the well and seemed to sneer at the young girl who trembled as she tried to approach with a bucket. Her face was thin and drawn.

"The people were hungry because the rats ate their food," Renesmee continued. "They were tired because at night the rats invaded their beds and bit the children. They killed any rats they could, but there were too many. The people were desperate, and they prayed for help."

"Renesmee!" I couldn't help interrupting.

"What?" she said, frowning slightly.

"Did you plan all this, everything you are showing me?"

"Yes." Her face glowed with satisfaction. "When Uncle Jasper told me the story, I showed him my pictures, and he told me if they were right."

"It's amazing," I marveled. Our daughter was a treasure beyond reckoning. _Edward, she's… _I couldn't find words for my pride and wonder, but I didn't need to.

"I know," he whispered.

"Should I keep going?" she asked.

"Yes!" We answered in unison.

"One day a strange man came to the town," she said. The person in the illustration she offered was tall and thin with dark crimson eyes and very pale skin. He wore a strange collection of garments. A tattered peasant blouse was topped with a richly embroidered vest and a minister's black frock coat. His brightly colored pants were streaked with dirt, and his feet were bare. He lifted a crude recorder to his lips and began to play a simple but catchy melody. Intrigued by the music, the villagers drew near. When everyone had gathered around the newcomer in the central square, the piper brought the tune to an end.

"I can rid your town of rats," he announced. A murmur ran through the crowd. Faster than the villagers could follow, he darted a few paces away, snatched up a rat that was lurking on the steps of the church and wrung its neck. Returning to his previous position in the center of the plaza, he tossed the carcass at the mayor's feet. The people gasped. "How did he do that?" they cried. "Our prayers have been answered!"

Renesmee's clear voice advanced the tale. "The man demanded gold for his services. Much impressed with the demonstration and the piper's compelling voice and presence, the villagers immediately agreed to pool everything they had in order to fulfill his demand. He said that they should make the payment ready. When he came back the next day, the rats would be gone."

She showed how the rats had instinctively fled from the piper as he stalked the streets that night. The moonlight shone on throngs of gray and brown animals racing ahead of him. He chased them to a nearby river where they all drowned.

"The people were very happy when they woke up to find their village empty of rats. It was almost too good to be true. Some of the people brought their small savings to the plaza, but several of the townsfolk had another idea."

In the scene Renesmee created, one young man spoke up. "The rats are gone," he said. "We need our gold to replace what those vermin stole from us. Leave it to me. When that stranger comes back—_if_ he comes back— I'll send him on his way."

"It was not long before the piper strolled into the center of town and stood before the people assembled there," she said.

I watched the confrontation. "Where is the gold you promised?" the piper asked coldly. Some of the villagers were frightened by his angry glare and the sense of danger that he provoked. They clung together and shrank from him. But the young leader spoke boldly. "I don't remember making any promise," he said carelessly. "Besides, the rats are gone, but we have no proof that you were responsible." Slowly, the piper's unnerving gaze swept over everyone in the crowd. "Very well," he said at last, and he seemed to vanish. Once again he had moved faster than human eyes could track. The villagers reacted with happy relief. "They gave thanks that their town had been delivered from its plight," Renesmee said. "But their hope and high spirits would be short-lived."

Renesmee shared her images of the piper's return that very night. He crept through the town, silently entering each cottage and waking all the children. He breathed on them, making their heads spin. Even though I knew that the children were doomed, I couldn't help smiling with recognition as I saw how some of them weaved and tottered under his intoxicating spell. The moonlight showed more than a hundred children of all ages buzzing with excitement over the unexpected outing and the handsome man who had saved their village. "Follow me," he said, in a voice laden with allure. The children's eyes grew round with wonder and anticipation as he described a beautiful place full of toys and music and treats. Eagerly they followed as he led them away from their homes.

"The villagers were all shocked and horrified to find their children missing the next morning," Renesmee narrated. "They were just beginning to organize search parties when one small boy came hobbling into the plaza, exhausted and with tears streaking his face. He had not been able to keep up with the others because he was lame," she explained. "His parents and the other townsfolk were overjoyed to see him, but he was sad that he hadn't been able to accompany his friends to the wonderful place the piper had promised.

"The villagers were very alarmed to learn that their children had been lured away by the man who had rid their town of rats. They knew they had not kept their word. They decided to offer double what they had agreed to if only they could find him and he would return the children. They sent out messengers in every direction asking for help." She paused.

"Did anyone know where he was?" I prompted.

Renesmee shook her head. "Nobody knew," she said solemnly.

"Is that the end?" I asked. I knew that in the traditional version, the Pied Piper had gotten away with his crime.

Delight lit up her exquisite face as she smiled. "No. Nobody knew where he was, but somebody knew how to find him," she said dramatically. "The Volturi heard about the village that lost all its children, and they knew it was a vampire who was too greedy and noticeable."

"The Volturi!" I hadn't meant to interrupt again, but the words burst out. Renesmee sent pictures flashing through my mind: Aro, Caius, Marcus, Jane, Alec, Felix, Demetri, Chelsea, Renata, and even some whose names I had refused to learn. Their merciless, inhuman faces made me feel sick.

She nodded. "I asked Uncle Jasper why we don't fight the Volturi and stop them because of what they did. He said that they hurt humans but they also protect humans because without them, there would be too many vampires and too many attacks. I didn't really understand, so he thought about it and then he told me this story about how they might interfere if a vampire was very bad."

I met Edward's eyes. _Pretty difficult subject matter_, I commented silently. He nodded, and the calm expression on his glorious face reassured me. "I'm sorry for interrupting," I said. "Please go on."

Renesmee showed us that the vampire had blockaded the children in a cave with only a few provisions he had brought from the town. "He relished having these young humans trapped and waiting, ready for him to bite and drink whenever he chose," she said, her voice laced with bitter judgment. "He had killed a few, calling them out one at a time and feasting on them away from the others so that the remaining children would not become more frightened and unmanageable. The children thought his victims had gone home.

"A pair of Volturi enforcers easily tracked the vampire from the village to his hiding place." I shuddered at the image of the two figured in gray hooded cloaks. "In short order they killed him and torched his remains. They were tempted by the rapid heartbeats and the human blood, but they were well-disciplined and knew they had to refrain.

"The surviving children found their way home." Renesmee created a beautiful picture of the reunion. There were shouts of disbelief and joy as the girls and boys rushed into the arms of their parents. "The villagers never understood what had happened or why some of the children had been spared, but they were never the same. From that time forward, they were very wary of strangers and they were always careful to keep their promises," she concluded.

Sliding her hand away my face with a soft caress, Renesmee carefully checked Edward's expression.

"What do you think, Daddy?" she asked.

He paused to gather his thoughts. "I wish there was a happy-ever-after ending for all the children," he said quietly. "I wish vampires didn't hurt humans."

"_Other_ vampires, Daddy," she corrected him.

"Other vampires," he agreed smoothly. I didn't like to mislead her, but I approved of his response. The story had been tragic enough. The mistakes and dark occasions in our own family's history would wait until she was older. Adroitly he returned to the previous topic. "But I am so impressed with how you told the story. With your well-chosen words and your magical pictures, you are a wonderful storyteller. I enjoyed it very, very much."

Satisfied, she turned to me. "Did you like my story?"

"I _loved_ it. I absolutely loved it."

"Can I tell it again?" she asked eagerly.

"Yes, I want you to! But not now. It's time for bed," I said sternly. Obediently she curled up under her covers.

"Good night, Mommy and Daddy," she whispered. "I love you."

Edward's lips curved into a rueful smile. "She has one more question," he informed me.

I sighed. "Go ahead," I invited her with an indulgent smile.

"Do you think Jacob will like it?"

oooooooooooo

_Author's Note: This chapter was a bit different, but I think Jacob will like the story, and I hope you did too! I think the story makes much more sense with a vampire than a person with a magic flute who would steal all the children. There are still a few more fairytales that I'm pondering, and I'm open to suggestions._

_I'm on Twitter now if you'd like to follow me (at)JustineLark._


End file.
